All Are Sinners "All we, like sheep, have gone astray." Psalms 51:5. "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; Romans 7:8. "Sin, taking occasion by the com- Original Sin. The two references above say definitely that we are sinners, as brought into the world. It is the nature of Adam, the natural; because Adam fell we are all fallen. "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the "Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." Romans 5:18. The first eight chapters of Romans are the most notable collection of writings anywhere, showing moral depravity, original sin, and then ending in the climax at the end of the seventh chapter: "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God Original sin is the law of sin and death. It is moral de pravity. Moral Depravity. Perhaps we can understand moral depravity more readily, if we compare it with physical depravity. When we speak of the physical depravity of the body we mean that the body is diseased. It is a departure from the laws of health, a lapsed or fallen state of physical condition. Moral Depravity, then, is a disease of the soul, and of the voluntary actions of the mind. Some Practical Examples of Moral Depravity, Original Sin. Uncontrolled passion, appetite, selfishness, greed, hatred all these sins spring up in the child, not from any purpose of the child to acquire them-they are just naturally there. They are more controlled in some than in others --but nevertheless they are there. We see this before our eyes, and would know it even though there were no Scripture which pointed it out definitely to us. But let us find Bible proof: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory "And God saw that the wickedness of man was "The heart is deceitful above all things, and des- "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3. "What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; as it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used 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 have they not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." Romans 3:9-20. The history of the world proves that the human race is under sin, and in a state of moral depravity as a whole. Who ever saw an unregenerate being that was not selfish, that did not obey his feelings rather than the law of intelligence? People living to please themselves-that people is morally depraved-and must suffer the consequences. The passages of Scripture quoted are all to the point. With your reference Bible you can find others. Incidentally, it will usually be easier to convince people of the moral depravity of the whole human race by pointing out the wickedness in the world, than it will by quoting Scripture. But the two together are invincible and unanswerable. As we contemplate this wretched state of the human race, what a relief it is to turn to the thoughts of how we may be "delivered from the body of this death." "I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord." The first step toward deliverance is Repentance. Repentance "Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish." Gospel Repentance—is that repentance and regret which the sinner feels who is sensible of his sin and his estrangement from God, so much so that he humbles himself before God on account of it, not so much on account of the punishment to which his sin has made him liable, as that thereby he has violated the laws of God, his own soul polluted and defiled. This grief arises from the love of God, and is accompanied with a hatred for sin, so much so that the sinner determines that he will not sin again. It is also accompained with an expectation of forgiveness, and a determination to follow after Christ all the rest of his life. Genuine Repentance makes a man or woman give up sin completely, and every thing that is not pleasing to God. The repentant one doesn't wait until he finds forgiveness to begin to do right. He exclaims, "Though thou slay me, yet will I trust thee." That Repentance is absolutely required and is the first definite step in becoming a Christian is clearly set forth by many passages of Scripture, among which the following are prominent: "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching |