Are We Really That Bad?

We all sin. After all, nobody’s perfect – most people will admit that much about themselves. But just how bad have we been affected by sin? Is there any part of us that has not been corrupted by the sin we inherited from Adam? Do we have the ability within us to confess our sins and trust in Jesus for our salvation on our own? Does God simply “help those who help themselves?”

There are countless ways to answer these questions. One famous assessment of our nature comes from the Canons of Dort, a confession written from 1618-1619. Article 3/4.3 says:

Therefore, all people are conceived in sin and are born children of wrath, unfit for any saving good, inclined to evil, dead in their sins, and slaves to sin; without the grace of the regenerating Holy Spirit, they are neither willing nor able to return to God, to reform their distorted nature, or even to dispose themselves to such reform.
While most people would agree that all people sin, many people will reject this answer as being too harsh and having too low of a view of human ability. We can judge the truthfulness of this statement based on our thoughts and feelings, but how does it line up with the truth of the Bible?

The Bible says that we are conceived in sin (Psalm 51:5) and that we were born children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3). We do not accept the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:14) because our minds are hostile to God’s law and cannot submit to it (Romans 8:7). This makes us dead in our trespasses and sin (Ephesians 2:1) and slaves to sin (Romans 6:20). Because of this depravity we cannot come to Jesus without first being drawn to Him (John 6:44).

Reviewing these truths of scripture make the article look almost like a copy/paste of the Bible.

Why is understanding of the depth of sin so important? A right understanding helps us to appreciate and glorify the work of the Triune God in our salvation. Paul says in Titus 3:4-6:

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior (emphasis added).

In these verses, Paul shows how all three Persons of the Trinity work in our salvation and reminds us that it is all done because of God’s mercy, not our righteousness. It was while we were living in hatred, malice and envy that God regenerated us and saved us. Jesus did not die on the cross just to cover up a few bad behaviors, but He died for the sins of those who had no natural desire to love God but instead hated the ways of God.

Affirming that sin has made us completely and totally unable to come to God on our own should be a cause for great praise and worship for our great God who saves us from His wrath