“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom....”

-Proverbs 9:10

It has been said that true wisdom consists of but two things: the knowledge of God - which should generate a great reverence and obedience within the true believer, and the knowledge of self - which should bring a deep humility to the believer’s heart, and that all misunderstandings of our state in this world have their root in our erroneous views of God’s holiness, and a lack of understanding the enormity and nature of our own sin.

While most can achieve a view of some of the attributes of the holy, omnipotent, omniscient, eternal God as seen in His creation (see Romans 1:19-20), it is the latter misunderstanding of man’s unregenerate state that, to some degree or another, always remains a stumbling block, men being the prideful creatures that we are. Hence, this primer shall first focus upon this particular obstacle to our understanding, that we may come to know of our need for the Saviour, and then, in brokenness, come to repent and believe, genuinely desiring the Saviour.

The Gospel, meaning “good news”, implies a concomitant “bad news.” Thus, let us begin by “diagnosing the disease”, delivering the “bad news” about our condition.

Though Adam and Eve, in their state of innocence before their sin and expulsion from the garden, had but one command to obey (Genesis 2:16-17), after The Fall (read Genesis 3) we were given God’s Moral Law for mankind in the form of the Ten Commandments, which are summarized:

You shall have no other gods before Me. Exodus 20:3

You shall not make for yourself a carved image. Exodus 20:4

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. Exodus 20:7

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Exodus 20:8

Honor your father and your mother. Exodus 20:12

You shall not murder. Exodus 20:13

You shall not commit adultery. Exodus 20:14

You shall not steal. Exodus 20:15

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Exodus 20:16

You shall not covet. Exodus 20:17

Regardless of how we may appear in our own eyes, or in the sight of others, not one of us is inherently righteous, for there is none without sin;

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” 1 John 1:8, 10,

nor is it within our own ability to justify ourselves; indeed, the only righteousness that any of us may ever possess must be the righteousness of Christ Jesus imputed to us. In this sense, neither you nor I has ever met a “good” (i.e., “righteous”) person: according to God's word, there are none - not me, nor you, our parents, siblings, children, or friends. Though we are born not as evil as we could be, or desire to be, as a result of The Fall, every aspect of our nature - heart, mind, will, and flesh - has been corrupted by our sin. If you doubt this, hear Christ Jesus as He expounds upon the spirit of the law.

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” Matthew 5:21-22

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:27-28

While most of us would claim to have obeyed the letter of the Moral Law, there is not one among us who has fully obeyed the spirit of God’s law. It is more likely that we have transgressed every one of the Commandments, at least in spirit.

“For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.” James 2:10

Even when Christ Jesus had collected the whole of the law into just two commandments, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Matthew 12:30-31, we must admit that we have been guilty of breaking even these two. One may easily discern: we need a Saviour.

The Bible teaches that we, by our very nature, are:

DEAD: "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Romans 5:12

BOUND: "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will." 2 Timothy 2:25

BLIND AND DEAF: ". . . but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables; that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand." Mark 4:1

UNINSTRUCTABLE: "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know then", because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 2:14

NATURALLY SINFUL: By Birth: "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." Psalm 51:5 By Practice: "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Genesis 6:5

This is our natural state. We must ask, then: Can the DEAD raise ourselves? Can the BOUND free ourselves? Can the BLIND give ourselves sight, or the DEAF hearing? Can the SLAVES redeem ourselves? Can the UNINSTRUCTABLE teach ourselves? Can the NATURALLY SINFUL change ourselves?

"Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?" asks Job; and he answers, "Not one!" Job 14:4

"Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?" asks Jeremiah; "If they can," he concludes, "then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." Jeremiah 13:23

The Scriptures conclude that all men are born in sin and by nature are spiritually dead.

The word of God shows our inability to desire or procure our own salvation. This picture is one of a spiritually dead person. We are like Lazarus in his tomb; we are bound hand and foot; corruption has taken hold upon us. Just as there was no glimmer of life in the dead body of Lazarus, so there is no "inner receptive spark" in our hearts. Salvation, by its very nature, must be all of grace and of the Lord. It must be God who calls us to come forth, as He did Lazarus.

John. 3:5-7 “Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again.’”

John. 6:44, 63-65 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”

Because of The Fall, we are blind and deaf to the spiritual truths that may be presented to us. Our minds are darkened and our hearts wicked and depraved by our sin. Such corruption leaves us totally unable and unwilling to come to the truth on our own.

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

Genesis 8:21 “And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.”

Ecclesiastes 9:3 “This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.”

Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?”

Mark 7:21-23 “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

John 3:19-20 “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.”

Romans 3:10-19 “As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all gone out of the way; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one. Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced 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 they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”

Romans 8:7-8 “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

1 Corinthians 2:14 “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”

Ephesians 4:17-19 “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to licentiousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.”

Titus 1:15-16 “To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.”

In our natural state, we love ourselves (though our self-love is at cross purposes to our true best interests) and are at enmity with God.

“Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.’” John 8:34

We war against God, and against ourselves - “kicking at the goads,” as it were. Our unsuccessful attempts to assail God soon turn into waging war against His word and His people.

“For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:7-8

This, sadly, is our lot, unless God Himself steps in to interrupt our march to Hell. Please know that this is not a war we are capable of winning. All of us begin our lives as spiritually dead rebels, fools, and dullards - refusing and unable to hear and answer God’s call to repent, believe, and obey.

“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” John 3:19

“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14

Look around, and notice, as Thoreau stated, the mass of men living their lives in “quiet desperation”, looking for “the next thing”, as if a little more food, alcohol, sex, financial prosperity, or worldly renown will satiate the soul. They cannot.

“For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” Mark 7:21-23

“Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

No, friend, our “achievements” and pursuits of pleasures will never satisfy the soul. The pursuit of the world is likened to chasing after the wind. God did not design the things of this present world to bring men joy.

“Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?” Ecclesiastes 1:2-3

Joy is found only in God Himself. Yet, if you were to ask most men and women what it is that would bring them “happiness,” they would tell you, in so many words (if they were to be honest with themselves), that the only thing that they desire is “just a little bit more.” Many are of Augustine’s mind when he prayed, “Give me chastity and continence, but not yet.” Still, enter any bookstore and find within the “Self Help” section a plethora of titles aimed at building our self-esteem. The world tells us that, “I’m Okay, You’re Okay”, but the Bible tells us that I’m not okay, and neither are you.

Our will is not free, but in bondage to our evil nature; therefore, we will not - indeed we cannot - choose good over evil in the spiritual realm. Consequently, it takes much more than the Spirit's assistance to bring us sinners to Christ.

We shall, each one, soon enough go the way of all flesh. Our life's account will soon close. Our time for questioning God and His claims upon us will come to an end, and His time to evaluate us will immediately commence. Our earthly remains will then rest in a wooden box or be blown away by the wind, and our souls will be transported to judgment.

 “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

"For the wages of sin is death….” Romans 6:23

“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment….” Hebrews 9:27

Before moving on from the “bad news”, perhaps we should meditate upon several important questions:

If I were to die tonight, where would I go? Why?

Am I a sinner?

Do I need forgiveness?

Do I desire forgiveness?

If what I believe is not true, do I want to know?