Are people good or evil? We continue our look at the recent “State of Theology” survey, and discuss what Scripture tells us about people, sin, and human nature.

Music:
“Kid Kodi”
Blue Dot Sessions
http://www.sessions.blue

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Show Notes

Episode #50 – Are Humans Good?

Survey

• “Everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature.”
  • U.S. Adults
    • 27% Strongly Agree
    • 39% Somewhat Agree
    • 6% Not Sure
    • 14% Somewhat Disagree
    • 14% Strongly Disagree 
  • Evangelical
    • 22% Strongly Agree
    • 33% Somewhat Agree
    • 5% Not Sure
    • 15% Somewhat Disagree
    • 25% Strongly Disagree 

Human Beings are Created in the Image of God
(Gen 1:26–27)

• This means that human beings are to reflect God back into the creation. 
• Human beings are created to be God’s mirrors, reflecting God back into the creation. However, sin has cracked humanity’s mirror. No longer do human beings perfectly reflect God’s image. Like a cracked mirror, we do still reflect God, but not perfectly. At times, we even reflect something other than God. 
• This means that every human being has the potential to do good, but the cracks prevent them from doing good perfectly. Some people’s mirrors are more cracked than others. However, every good thing comes from God. So, whenever a person does something good, whether they are a Christian or non-Christian, they are living out of the part of themselves that is made after the image of God. 
• So, at the very least, humans are born with some potential to do good. 

The Results of Sin

• The world human beings are born into is broken, under the power of Sin. 
• Being born into the world is like falling into a septic tank, you’re going to get dirty. 

Original Sin

• The historic belief of original sin as guilt for Adam’s initial sin passed on through the sex act is not supported in the biblical text. 
  (Genesis 5:1-3)
• We see the impacts of the powers of sin on human beings from birth, and even, at times, prior to it. From birth, human beings are acted upon by the forces of sin to deform their image bearing ability, desires, thoughts, relationships, and spirituality. Additionally, we even see the impact of sin on the biological makeup of human beings. An individual can be born with a tendency towards things such as anger, addiction, or pornography. People can be born with physical and mental defects where their body and/or mind does not operate in the way God designed.

Limited Free Will

• Human free will is limited by sin, circumstances, nature, and experiences. The choices individuals make are his/her own decisions, but the options they believe are open to them are limited. For example, sin corrupts our thinking (Rom 12:1; Phil 2:5), impacting people’s decisions. A person’s previous circumstances set the stage for what that person believes he/she can or cannot do. If a person has been told their whole life they are not good enough, they will make decisions based upon that belief. Human biology gives limitations to what humans can and cannot do. Experiences limit the choices a person believes are open to them because of what they have and have not been able to do in the past.

Total Depravity

• Due to the way sin is ingrained into human existence, I would argue that human beings are unable to consistently choose good. Paul, in Romans 7, talks about the struggle of human existence. The good we want to do, we do not do, and the evil we do not want to do, we do. 
• Paul also says that human beings are “dead” in their sins (Eph 2:1; Col 2:13). A dead person cannot raise themselves, nor can they choose to be alive again. Only an outside force can raise them. 
• Impacts our thinking 

Sin and the Holy Spirit

• It is the power of the Holy Spirit that enables people to come to God and choose God.
  • Paul’s discussion in Romans 7 leads to his exposition of the Spirit in Romans 8. 
  • Jesus says that the Spirit will convict the world of sin (John 16:8)
• All human beings have a baseline indwelling of the Holy Spirit. God is working on all people, we just, at times, suppress the working of the Spirit. 

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Want more? Listen to our discussion on the connection between grace, faith, and works here.