The True Nature Of Man (According To GOD)

"The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually." - Genesis 6:5 

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:8-9

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

"I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance." - Ephesians 1:16b-18

". . . then He [Jesus] opened their [His disciples] minds so they could understand the Scriptures." Luke 24:45

1 Timothy 4:10 (by Matt Slick)

"Much is made out of 1 Tim. 4:10 by the Universalist to claim that Jesus will redeem all people whether or not they accept or reject Christ as Savior here on earth. Eventually, they say, all people will repent (either here or in the afterlife) and come to a saving relationship with God. 1 Timothy 4:10 is used as proof. 

Unfortunately, the verse does not prove what the Universalists hope it does. Can God be called the Savior of all men and yet not redeem all? Yes. Let’s take a look.

“For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers,” (NASB).

“(and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe,” (NIV).

“For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe,” (KJV).

All people are, by nature, born under wrath (Eph. 2:3) and should go to hell.  Why? Because God is holy and we are sinners. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom 6:28) Yet, we have hope in Christ. The Christian is saved by faith (Eph. 2:8) and will join the Lord in heaven.  But, the unbeliever is under judgment. 

Freedom!

"A soul alive, is one quickened by Christ. True spiritual life depends entirely on daily grace, as the same power that initially gives life is required to sustain it." - C.H. Spurgeon

What are you thinking about and why does it matter? Throughout the Bible, we see verse after verse reminding us of the importance of our thoughts and why we need to allow the Holy Spirit to renew our minds. But we also need to be aware of our true condition before we can appreciate the freedom that God desires and equips us to have in Christ!

"The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time." - Genesis 6:5

“There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." - Romans 3:11-12

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." - Proverbs 14:12

So if we incapable of doing good in God's eyes, what chance do we have of pleasing God? Fortunately God does not leave us without redemption, Praise God! Read on for the Good News!

Oh, The Places I've Seen (Part I)