As A Rose Cut Off

07.08.09

J.A. Matteson

The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth,
and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Genesis 6:5

Humanism declares that man is essentially good. Scripture reveals that man is radically fallen and inclined toward evil; man is a transgressor of the Law of God, a sinner. Humanism asserts that a sinners highest good is served through an unfettered freedom to pursue the desires of his heart. Scripture brings to light that left to themselves sinners actually are capable of heinous wickedness and only the grace of God prevents them from manifesting fully the evil inclinations churning just below the surface. History and personal experience appear to validate the claim of Scripture regarding the true condition of sinners, exposing the folly of the presuppositions encapsulated within humanistic anthropology.

The fall left man and woman totally depraved in their being; that is, it affected every aspect of their being, corporeally and incorporeally. Sin introduced spiritual and physical death to the human race, and like a rose cut off from its life nourishing stem humanity has been were cut off from the spiritual life which God supplies, and while spiritual death was immediate the ramifications of physical decay ending in biological death were slower. Since the fall the soul of the sinner remains drastically polluted to which three observations may be made.

First, the sinners mind is tragically broken so that he does not think correctly as intended by his Creator. Rather than being captivated with exalting thoughts towards his Creator he is self-consumed, being utterly twisted in his overall life perspective, self-deceived in the diagnosis of his true depraved condition, and exhibiting a moral deficit to the extent that he is incapable of pleasing his Creator but is perpetually inclined towards acts of irrational stupidity, none being more glaring than idolatry; for example, worshiping a stick of wood rather than the Creator of it, “No one recalls, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, ‘I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat {it.} Then I make the rest of it into an abomination, I fall down before a block of wood!’ He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver himself, nor say,’ Is there not a lie in my right hand?" (Isa. 44:18-19).

Second, the sinner’s will is jaded and inclined toward rebellion against God. While the Lord would have fallen man repent of his wandering and return to Him by faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ so as to be saved, he stubbornly refuses, choosing rather evil (unbelief) over righteousness, independence over dependence, eternal death over eternal life, “…choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Josh. 24:15). So ingrained is the sinners rebellious will that if it were not for the grace of the Lord, through the agency of the Holy Spirit, none would believe, none would repent, none would be saved, “When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, ‘Then who can be saved?’ And looking at them Jesus said to them, ‘With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible’" (Matt. 19:25-26).

Finally, the sinner’s emotions obscure spiritual realities and he is inclined to follow wicked subjective hunches rather than objective realities. Humanism instructs sinners to follow the desires of their hearts, for in doing so they will discover fulfillment—self-actualization. Scripture, however, contrasts the destructive end for the sinner in following his heart, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9).

The pilgrim has received grace to believe. As a new creation the saint’s mind, will, and emotions are being renewed daily so as to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, to whom all praise, honor, and glory are due.

Copyright (c) 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8)