Human nature: Good or Bad?

[Glory To God]

The Bible says we were created upright by God but seek out corruption (Ecclesiastes 7:29) spiritually dead due to the sin from the fall of Adam and saved by Jesus ( 1 Peter 2:24) by nature we are children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3) and don't seek after Christ or the glory of God (Philippians 2:21).

 

To me it seems like a helpless wretch. Do I have an Amen on that from anyone? 

[dhchristian]

Yes we are wretched, But we were also created in the image of God, and when he created us he declared everything was very good.... There is within each of these wretches a desire for truth, justice and Love, Even the most wretched of Atheists out there yearn for these things. there is an empty place in all of us that we seek to fill where God is meant to dwell, and we try to fill this in many ways, but ONLY one WAY satisfies this emptiness, and that Way is Jesus Christ. 

[missmuffet]

You decide for yourself.

Question: "What is human nature? What does the Bible say about human nature?"

Answer: Human nature is that which makes us distinctly human. Our nature is distinct from that of the animals and the rest of creation in that we can think and feel. One of the chief distinctions between human beings and the rest of creation is our ability to reason. No other creature has this ability, and there’s no question that this is a unique gift bestowed by God. Our reason enables us to reflect on our own nature and the nature of God and to derive knowledge of God’s will for His creation. No other part of God’s creation has a nature capable of reason.

The Bible teaches that God created human beings in His image. This means that He enables us to have some understanding of Him and of His vast and complex design. Our human nature reflects some of God’s attributes, although in a limited way. We love because we are made in the image of the God who is love (1 John 4:16). Because we are created in His image, we can be compassionate, faithful, truthful, kind, patient, and just. In us, these attributes are distorted by sin, which also resides in our nature.

Originally, human nature was perfect by virtue of having been created so by God. The Bible teaches that human beings were created “very good” by a loving God (Genesis 1:31), but that goodness was marred by the sin of Adam and Eve. Subsequently, the entire human race fell victim to the sin nature. The good news is that at the moment a person trusts in Christ, he receives a new nature. Second Corinthians 5:17 tells us, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Sanctification is the process by which God develops our new nature, enabling us to grow into more holiness through time. This is a continuous process with many victories and defeats as the new nature battles with the “tent” (2 Corinthians 5:4) in which it resides—the old man, the old nature, the flesh. Not until we are glorified in heaven will our new nature be set free to live for eternity in the presence of the God in whose image we are created.

https://www.gotquestions.org/human-nature.html

Edited July 26, 2020 by missmuffet

[ReneeIW]

8 hours ago, Glory To God said:

To me it seems like a helpless wretch. Do I have an Amen on that from anyone? 

Amen!

”Bad” does not even describe how awful we are. And I never would have said that five years ago. I was leaning towards what psychologists etc. say: that we are all inherently good. 
I wish that I didn’t  know how bad we are, especially those claiming to be good. I’ve been exposed to too much, and it’s usually those with the best reputations that are the worst. Thank goodness for grace is all I can say.

Edited July 26, 2020 by ReneeIW

[Fidei Defensor]

“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” -Psalm 51:5 

[Justin Adams]

47 minutes ago, Fidei Defensor said:

“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” -Psalm 51:5 

Maybe the mother was a sinner.. but the baby was sinless and only inherited Adam's death but not his guilt.

[Glory To God]

1 hour ago, Justin Adams said:

Maybe the mother was a sinner.. but the baby was sinless and only inherited Adam's death but not his guilt.

The scripture is not only speaking to the mother but the sin nature of humanity, how it is passed on from generation to generation and how the earthly is in essence unfit for God's kindom. It could be further clarified by this acripture

Job 14:4

Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?
No one!

 

 

On the other side of this argument, one would have to make the case for humanity being good. Some have stated we are created in God's image but then the fall happened, so things changed. 

[Justin Adams]

16 minutes ago, Glory To God said:

The scripture is not only speaking to the mother but the sin nature of humanity, how it is passed on from generation to generation and how the earthly is in essence unfit for God's kindom. It could be further clarified by this acripture

Job 14:4

Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?
No one!

 

 

On the other side of this argument, one would have to make the case for humanity being good. Some have stated we are created in God's image but then the fall happened, so things changed. 

Think what you like, but do not tell a mother that just lost her child that the baby is in hell. We are NOT inheritors of Adam's guilt, just his death sentence. That we WILL sin is a given, but we are NOT born with sin guilt like the many priestly classes want us to believe so they can exact indulgences.

[David1701]

19 hours ago, Glory To God said:

The Bible says we were created upright by God but seek out corruption (Ecclesiastes 7:29) spiritually dead due to the sin from the fall of Adam and saved by Jesus ( 1 Peter 2:24) by nature we are children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3) and don't seek after Christ or the glory of God (Philippians 2:21).

 

To me it seems like a helpless wretch. Do I have an Amen on that from anyone? 

Amen!

Adam and Eve were created "very good"; but, ever since Adam fell, we are BY NATURE children of wrath (i.e. deserving of wrath).  This is why Jesus said to Nicodemus that we MUST be born again, to see and enter the kingdom of God.  Our fallen nature is hostile to God, hates the light and will not come to it and rejects the things of the Spirit of God.  Upon being born of God, we are given a new heart/spirit that repents and believes in the Lord, unto salvation.

Edited July 26, 2020 by David1701
typo

[Glory To God]

1 hour ago, Justin Adams said:

Think what you like, but do not tell a mother that just lost her child that the baby is in hell. We are NOT inheritors of Adam's guilt, just his death sentence. That we WILL sin is a given, but we are NOT born with sin guilt like the many priestly classes want us to believe so they can exact indulgences.

 

Well it's not just a matter of me thinking,the scripture lays out as clear as day that man is sinful and it's not a random happening it is our inherent nature. It shows no indication of humanity being good and I challenge you or anyone else to make a case for that to prove that position from scripture if that's what you believe. 

 

The death of Babies or unborn children is a very sensitive and emotional subject but if you want to use this as a leveraging tool to imply that sin enters after conception or childhood I will have to challenge that. So if you believe babies de facto go to heaven because of their lack of sin or sin nature and therefore sin does not take effect until later on,I would ask how you believe people are redeemed? Babies can't choose Christ as their Savior,so they don't have that propitiation offered to the Father and so the wrath of God is not exhausted for that person. Unbelief is a sin and how is this sin accounted for if a person does not accept Christ as their Savior to appease the father? 

 

 

Edited July 26, 2020 by Glory To God