EXPLANATION OF MAN'S SIN NATURE
During these last days of this dying world, an increasing number of ministers and denominations professing Christianity are rejecting the Bible's teaching that man has a sin nature that was inherited through the original sin of Adam and Eve. These false Christians teach that humans are inherently good from birth, and that sinful tendencies develop within a person entirely through nurture and environmental factors, and that natural factors have nothing to do with sinful tendencies. However, the Bible makes it perfectly clear that sinful tendencies exist within each and every human being because of both nature and nurture. Most professed Christians who deny original sin and the sin nature are those who embrace the teachings of humanism and the Christendom Ecumenical Movement, and in the most extreme cases, Interfaithism and the New Age Movement. It is now reaching the point where some groups of professed Christians are going as far as denying the existence of sin altogether; declaring that there is no such thing as sin, or the wrath of God, or eternal punishment of the unrepentant in Hell. The Bible presents the innate sin nature as one of the irrefutable realities of man's existence that seriously impacts man's standing before God the Creator, his overall well-being, and his eternal destiny. Jesus Christ is man's only solution to all the problems and fatal scenarios associated with sin and the sin nature. The Bible not only defines sin as lawlessness or transgression of God's law (1 John 3:4), it also defines sin as a condition of flaw, imperfection or incompleteness. Romans 3:23 describes fallen humans and their personal sins in this way "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." The Greek word used for sin in Romans 3:23 is hamartano (ἁμαρτάνω), which means "to err" or "to miss the mark" or "to fall short." The Greek word hamartano appears a total of 43 times in the New Testament. Sin is a hamartia (ἁμαρτία), which is Greek for "tragic flaw" or "fatal flaw"; that is, sin is a flaw that is so negative and so profound that it eventually leads to a tragic end, a fatality, a certain death, to any person infiltrated by sin, unless the loving and merciful God intervenes in a repentant sinner's life to correct the tragic flaw of sin. Hamartiology is the branch of Christian theology that seeks to define, describe and explain the truth about sin from the perspective of God's inspired Word the Bible.
In the beginning, God created mankind, in the person of Adam and Eve, perfect in all aspects of his nature; he was without defect, without blemish, and without defilement. In the beginning, man functioned and behaved exactly as God created him to function and behave in his thoughts, words, and deeds. He was also perfect in body, mind, and spirit with absolutely no weaknesses whatsoever, and because of this man was able to maintain perfect fellowship with God their Creator through perfect love, and cooperate with God their Creator in ways that were perfect. However, everything changed when Adam and Eve began listening to Satan the Devil and disobeyed God's command in the Garden of Eden. As a result of Adam and Eve's disobedience, man fell from perfection and became imperfect and sinful in his nature. Ever since that time, man has been sinful and corrupt by nature, and cannot repair the damage sin has done to him. This is because sin has infiltrated every aspect of man's being; that is, every conceivable part of man's being is adversely touched and influenced by sin. After Adam's fall, mankind did degenerate in all aspects of his nature, but mankind DID NOT degenerate into "100% corruption" or "pure evil"; there are still remnants of God's image and goodness remaining within each human being, but that goodness, in a spiritual sense, is no more profitable than filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6); therefore, such goodness CANNOT merit salvation from one's own sinful condition before the God of perfect righteousness and holiness. Man is in bondage to sin and therefore is unable to set himself free to obtain spiritual good. Man exists in a situation in which "That which is crooked cannot be made straight, that which is lacking cannot be numbered" (Ecclesiastes 1:15). Man is unable to convert himself and his life's circumstances from crooked to straight, nor is he able to number and provide everything his body, soul, and spirit is sorely lacking. Only God the Creator is able to convert a person's heart, and their life's circumstances, from crooked to straight, and accurately number and adequately provide everything they sorely lack spiritually and materially.
Jesus
Christ the Son of God, together with the regenerating power of the Holy
Spirit, is man's only hope in being set free from sin's powerful
clutches (1 Corinthians 6:11; Titus 3:4-6). Apart from one's faith in
the saving grace and atoning work of Jesus Christ, their problems with
sin cannot be solved (Ephesians 2:8, 9; 1 John 1:7-9). The Scriptures
describe man in his fallen state as spiritually undiscerning (1
Corinthians 2:14), at enmity with God (Romans 8:7), a lover of dark
rather than light (John 3:19), full of evil (Ecclesiastes 9:3), one who
is conceived in sin and born in sin (Psalm 51:5; 58:3), one whose
thoughts and inclinations are evil from youth onward (Genesis 8:21), a
child of wrath and disobedience (Ephesians 2:3; 5:6; Colossians 3:6),
one who drinks iniquity like water (Job 15:16), a servant of his father
the Devil (John 8:44), one with a defiled mind and conscience (Titus
1:15), one with a heart that is deceitful, desperately wicked or
incurable (Jeremiah 17:9), one who live by the flesh and cannot please
God (Romans 8:8), one who cannot approach Jesus Christ unless God the
Father draws him (John 6:44, 65); one whose deeds are evil (John 3:19),
blind and deaf to the things of God (2 Corinthians 4:4), and finally,
dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). We humans CANNOT purify
ourselves of sin (Proverbs 20:9), nor can we reconcile ourselves with
God without first seeking God through the Son, Jesus Christ, who gave
His life as a ransom to pay for the sins of all people (John 14:6;
Romans 10:9-13; 1 Timothy 2:5, 6). Biblical statements like "Whoever
believes" are fine and true (John3:16; 1 John 5:1); each person does
have the ability through free will to choose between good and evil, life
and death, blessing and cursing, God and sin (Deuteronomy 30:19). Once a
sinner repents and makes the choice to cast our overwhelming burden of
sin upon Jesus Christ the Savior, a change will begin taking place
within the repentant sinner's nature; that is, they have been "born
again" through God's Holy Spirit (John 3:5-7), and have been regenerated
as "a new creation" in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
THE FOLLOWING BIBLE TEXTS ARE SCRIPTURAL EXPLANATIONS OF THE NATURALLY DEPRAVED STATE OF UNREGENERATE MANKIND.
A --- Through ORIGINAL SIN inherited from Adam, every human being is spiritually dead, from conception onward. Sin separates people from God, which results in spiritual death, and ultimately, physical death. By nature, every human being is a child of wrath. In order to be reconcile to God, sinners must be made alive through the blood of Jesus Christ and the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit.
Genesis 2:16, 17
"And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, 'Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.'"
Genesis 8:21
"And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, 'I will never again curse the ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.'"
Job 15:14
"What is man, that he could be pure? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous?"
Psalm 51:5
"Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me."
Psalm 58:3
"The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies."
Isaiah 48:8
"Surely you did not hear, surely you did not know; surely from long ago your ear was not opened. For I knew that you would deal very treacherously, and were called a transgressor from the womb."
Isaiah 59:1, 2
"Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear you."
John 3:5-7
"Jesus answered, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again.'"
Romans 5:12
"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all have sinned."
1 Corinthians 15:22
"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive."
Ephesians 2:1-3
"And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others."
Colossians 2:13
"And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses."
B --- As a result of the Fall, unregenerate humans are blind and deaf to spiritual truth; their minds are darkened by sin; their hearts are corrupt and evil.
Genesis 6:5
"Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."
Proverbs 4:14-17
"Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn away from it and pass on. For they do not sleep unless they have done evil; and their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence."
Proverbs 14:12
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is the way of death."
Proverbs 16:25
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is the way of death."
Ecclesiastes 9:3
"This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead."
Isaiah 59:3-8
"For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue has muttered perversity. No one calls for justice, nor does any plead for truth. They trust in empty words and speak lies; they conceive evil and bring forth iniquity. They hatch vipers' eggs and weave the spider's web; he who eats of their eggs dies, and from that which is crushed a viper breaks out. Their webs will not become garments, nor will they cover themselves with their works. Their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their ways; they have made themselves crooked paths. Whoever takes that way shall not know peace."
Isaiah 59:9-13
"Therefore justice is far from us, nor does righteousness overtake us; we look for light, but there is darkness! For brightness, but we walk in blackness! We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes; we stumble at noonday as at twilight; we are as dead men in desolate places. We all growl like bears, and moan sadly like doves; we look for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us. For our transgressions are multiplied before You, O LORD, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and as for our iniquities, we know them: In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood."
Isaiah 64:6
"But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our acts of righteousness are like filthy rags; and we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."
Jeremiah 17:9
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and is desperately wicked; who can know it?"
Matthew 24:12, 13
"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved."
Mark 7:21-23
"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man."
John 3:19
"And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."
Romans 1:21-32
"Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them."
Romans 8:7, 8
"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God."
1 Corinthians 2:14
"But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
Ephesians 4:17-19
"This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness."
Ephesians 5:6-8
"Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light."
2 Timothy 3:12, 13
"Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived."
Titus 1:15, 16
"To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work."
C --- Before sinners are born into God's kingdom through the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, they are children of Satan the Devil and are under his control; they are slaves to sin.
John 8:34
"Jesus answered them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.'"
John 8:44
"You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of the lie."
Romans 6:15-17
"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered."
Romans 6:18-20
"And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness."
2 Corinthians 4:3, 4
"But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them."
Ephesians 2:1-3
"And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others."
2 Timothy 2:25, 26
"In humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the Devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will."
Titus 3:3
"For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another."
1 John 3:7-10
"Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the Devil, for the Devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the Devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children of God and the children of the Devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother."
1 John 5:18, 19
"We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one."
D --- Sin is universal in its reign and influence; all people are under its power; consequently, no one is inherently righteous before God.
2 Chronicles 6:36
"When they sin against You (for there is no one who does not sin), and You become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they take them captive to a land far or near."
Job 15:14-16
"What is man, that he could be pure? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous? If God puts no trust in His saints, and the heavens are not pure in His sight, how much less man, who is abominable and filthy, who drinks iniquity like water!"
Psalm 14:1-3
"The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good. The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, No, not one."
Psalm 53:1-3
"The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good. The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, No, not one."
Psalm 130:3
"If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?"
Psalm 143:1, 2
"Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, and in Your righteousness. Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, for in Your sight no one living is righteous."
Proverbs 20:9
"Who can say, 'I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin'?"
Ecclesiastes 7:20
"For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin."
Ecclesiastes 7:29
"Truly, this only I have found: That God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes."
Isaiah 53:6
"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."
Isaiah 64:7
"And there is no one who calls on Your name, who stirs himself up to take hold of You; for You have hidden Your face from us, and have consumed us because of our iniquities."
Romans 3:9-19
"What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written: 'There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.' 'Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit'; 'The poison of asps is under their lips'; 'Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.' 'Their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known.' 'There is no fear of God before their eyes.' Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."
Romans 3:23
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Romans 5:12
"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all have sinned."
James 3:2
"For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body."
James 3:8
"But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison."
1 John 1:8, 10
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us....If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us."
E --- People left in their spiritually dead state are unable in and of themselves to repent, believe the true gospel, or come to Christ in sincerity, UNLESS God first opens their spiritual eyes and ears, softens their hard heart, and convinces them wholeheartedly that they are damned sinners in need of salvation. People have no power in and of themselves to change their natures from sinful to righteous, nor can they earn salvation for themselves through "good works," special knowledge, or religious practices.
Job 14:4
"Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No, not one!"
Psalm 37:23, 24
"The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the LORD upholds him with His hand."
Proverbs 20:9
"Who can say, 'I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin'?"
Ecclesiastes 1:15
"That which is crooked cannot be made straight, that which is lacking cannot be numbered."
Isaiah 26:12, 13
"LORD, You will establish peace for us, for You have also done all our works in us. O LORD our God, masters besides You have had dominion over us; but by You only we make mention of Your name."
Jeremiah 10:23, 24
"O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. O LORD, correct me, but with justice; not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing."
Jeremiah 13:23
"Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil."
Matthew 7:16-18
"You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit."
Matthew 12:33-35
"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things."
Matthew 13:10-15
"And the disciples came and asked Jesus, 'Why do You speak to them in parables?' Jesus answered and said to them, 'Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: 'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.'"
John 1:12, 13
"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
John 3:27
"John answered and said, 'A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven." (This also includes God's gift of salvation in Christ.)
John 6:44
"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day."
John 6:63-66
"'It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.' For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, 'Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.' From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more."
John 12:37-41
"But although Jesus had done so many signs before the people, they did not believe in Him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: 'Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?' Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: 'He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.' These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him."
John 15:5
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
John 15:16
"You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you."
Romans 1:16, 17
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith.'"
Romans 3:28
"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law."
Romans 9:16
"So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy."
Romans 11:6
"And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work."
Romans 11:35, 36
"'Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?' For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen."
1 Corinthians 2:14-16
"But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For 'who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?' But we have the mind of Christ."
1 Corinthians 4:7
"For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?"
1 Corinthians 6:11
"And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."
1 Corinthians 12:3
"Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit."
2 Corinthians 3:5
"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God."
Galatians 2:16-21
"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."
Ephesians 2:8, 9
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."
Philippians 2:13
"For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."
Titus 3:4-7
"But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
James 1:17
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." (This also includes God's gift of salvation in Christ.)
Deuteronomy 30:19
"I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live."
Joshua 24:14, 15
"Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
Psalm 32:5
"I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,' and You forgave the iniquity of my sin."
Psalm 55:22
"Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved."
Psalm 86:5
"For You, LORD, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You."
Proverbs 3:5-7
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil."
Proverbs 28:13
"He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy."
Isaiah 55:6, 7
"Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon."
Ezekiel 18:30-32
"'Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,' says the Lord GOD. 'Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,' says the Lord GOD. 'Therefore turn and live!'"
Ezekiel 33:11
"Say to them: 'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?'"
Micah 6:8
"He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"
Matthew 7:13, 14
"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."
Matthew 7:24-27
"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."
Matthew 11:28-30
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
John 3:16, 17
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."
John 3:36
"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
John 12:35, 36
"Then Jesus said to them, 'A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.'"
John 20:31
"But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name."
Acts 2:38, 39
"Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."
Acts 4:10-12
"Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.' Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
Acts 10:34, 35
"Then Peter opened his mouth and said: 'In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.'"
Romans 6:23
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 10:9-13
"That if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, 'Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.' For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For 'whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Romans 10:17
"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."
Romans 11:32
"For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all."
1 Timothy 2:3
"For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."
2 Corinthians 6:1, 2
"We then, as workers together with Christ also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: 'In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.' Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."
James 4:7-10
"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."
2 Peter 3:9
"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."
1 John 1:7-10
"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us."
1 John 2:1, 2
"My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world."
1 John 4:9, 10
"In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."
Revelation 22:17
"And the Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely."
THE WORD "SIN" IN THE KJV BIBLE
The word SIN, in all of its variations, appears more than 800 times in the 66 books of the King James Version (KJV) Bible. This consistent presentation of sin in the King James Bible reveals just how important an issue sin is to the Lord God Almighty who inspired the Bible, and just how gravely deadly serious an issue sin is to each and every human being, especially to those who do not repent. This consistent presentation of sin in the King James Bible also totally discredits the ideas of heretical preachers that deny the original sin nature of humanity and/or deny the existence of sin, the wrath of God, and Hell altogether.
the word - "sin" - appears 447 times
the word - "sins" - appears 173 times
the word - "sinned" - appears 119 times
the word - "sinners" - appears 48 times
the word - "sinneth" - appears 22 times
the word - "sinner" - appears 21 times
the word - "sinful" - appears 8 times
the word - "sinning" - appears 2 times
the word - "sinnest" - appears 1 time
A GRAND TOTAL OF 841 TIMES
This list does not include the many synonyms for sin, such as iniquities, transgressions, trespasses, wickedness, evil, dead works, faults, errors, ungodliness, guiltiness, offenses, stumbling, unlawfulness, concupiscence, abomination, etc. that appear everywhere in God's Word the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.
EXTERNAL LINKS
Hamartiology: The Study of Sin: Part 3B of Bible Basics: Essential Doctrines of the Bible
http://ichthys.com/3B-Hamartio.htm
The Doctrine of Sin
http://www.lifetv.org/Web_HTML/html/Commentary%20folder/Sin.htm
WikiAnswers: How many times sin is mentioned in the Bible?
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_times_sin_is_mentioned_in_the_bible
