II. WHAT IS MAN?

3. The Sinfulness of Man

Read Romans 1:16-32; 3:9-18

Adam and Eve’s sin had disastrous consequences for them. But the trouble did not stop there. Just as God had created them in his image, so they began to have children in their image (Genesis 5:1-3). This image included the sinful disposition that had taken root in them. Sinfulness was passed down the generations. With Adam as our father, we share in his sin from the moment of conception (see Psalm 51:3-5).

1. Read Romans 1:16-32. This passage shows some of the lengths to which all human beings are capable of going in sinfulness. How accurate is it as a reflection of our society today?

2. Many gross sins are listed in the latter part of the passage, but they are seen as symptoms rather than the cause of the problem. What does Paul say is the root leading to such particular sins? (Romans 1:18-21) How similar is this to Adam and Eve’s rejection of God as God?

3. What is the result of this wilful rejection of what men clearly know about God? (Romans 1:21)

4. What excuse do men have for their wrongdoing? (Romans 1:20)

5. Read Romans 3:9-18. Paul quotes Old Testament scriptures which describe the sinful disposition of all men. Theologians call this “Total Depravity.” This does not mean that every area of man’s life is totally depraved to the point that nothing of the image of God remains. Rather it means that he is depraved in all areas of life. There is no area where the image of God is not marred. Which areas does Paul describe here as having been tainted by sin?

6. What behavior patterns does Paul describe, which result from this contamination of each area of a man’s being? What are the consequences? How widespread does Paul see this problem to be? (Romans 3:9-12)

7. Much modern thought is built on the idea of man’s inherent goodness. Educational theories and psychological practices are built on this assumption. How do these ideas compare with the scriptures we have read and others like them (eg Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 7:20-23) ? Which view of man is most true to life?

8. In the midst of the description of the hopelessness of man’s position, Paul does not despair. On what does he base his hope? (Romans 1:16,17)

Most of us regard ourselves as reasonably nice people. We know that we are a mixture of good and bad, but we like to think that the good outweighs the bad. The Bible’s view is that the good is all spoiled by the bad (see Isaiah 64:6). Praise God that in spite of the truth of our total sinfulness, God has provided a way of salvation.