THE TRUTH ABOUT THE SINFUL NATURE: BIBLE STUDY, PART 1

    CHAPTER 1: BIBLE STUDY, PART 1

THE SINFUL NATURE: ACCUSTOMED TO DOING EVIL

 “…The ...[flesh]... nature ...never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.…” (Romans 8:1-14 NLT).    “…I [am] …a slave to the sin (nature) …” (Romans 7:14-25 NLT). “…Can an Ethiopian change his skin or a leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil…” (Jeremiah 13:23 NIV). “...I want to do what is right, but I can’t…” (Romans 7:14-25 NLT).

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SCRIPTURE: “…Can an Ethiopian change his skin or a leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil…” (Jeremiah 13:23 NIV). “...I want to do what is right, but I can’t…” (Romans 7:14-25 NLT). 

PURPOSE OR GOAL OF LESSON: TO SEE THE SINFUL NATURE FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

APPLICATION OF LESSON: TO BECOME AWARE THAT BEING A SINNER IS NOT BASED ON WHAT YOU DO OR DON’T DO. IT IS BASED ON BEING BORN WITH A NATURE SEPARATED FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT AND ONLY HAS A PROCLIVITY TO SIN.

TOPIC DISCUSSION: TO DISCUSS TRUTHS ABOUT BEING A SINNER AND THE SINFUL NATURE THAT IS RARELY TALKED ABOUT from this perspective. Sinful behaviors learned from the body of flesh through the senses are developed and practiced to the point they become automatic behaviors that are skillfully performed with little or no thought. Automatic behaviors can be done or performed without conscious knowledge, or fully thinking about them, or independent of the heart and mind. The one doing the automatic behaviors may not be able to explain HOW they did it. Automatic behaviors are so well practiced by the body of flesh, through the senses, that these automatic behaviors are second nature to the ones performing them. “… Be transformed by the renewing of your mind….” (Romans 12:2 KJV). “...letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace...” (Romans 8:5-7 NLT).“…The sinful nature (flesh) wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the [Holy] Spirit wants ...These TWO FORCES are constantly fighting each other, so you are not FREE to carry out your good intentions...” (Galatians 5 NLT). SINFUL CONDITIONING done by the body of flesh, through the SENSES is when a lifetime of training, practice, exposure, and shaping become habitual responses, for the SOUL, that are continually sustained, through LONGTIME information within the heart (mind) which affect thoughts and direct behaviors. “…The sinful nature (flesh) wants to do evil ... so you are not FREE to carry out your good intentions...” (Galatians 5 NLT). THE SOUL is one’s very BEING (life, personhood, self). It is the immaterial self that HOUSES the EMOTIONS, AFFECTIONS, HEART, MIND, conscience, personality, and human will. The heart and mind are interchangeable or closely linked and can be considered the information centers of the soul. The heart(brain) informs the mind. The mind takes the information, from the heart and forms the thoughts. The thoughts, that are formed, from the information from the heart, command behavior. The heart(brain) of the soul, where INFORMATION is stored, is either influenced by the body of flesh, through the senses, on how to live, choose, or make decisions. Or the soul - where the INFORMATION has been RENEWED is NOW stored - is influenced by the indwelling Holy Spirit on how to live, choose, and make decisions. The HEART (brain) of the SOUL is the information center and influences everything from the emotions, to the appetites, to orientations to life, and of course, the thoughts. The heart will glean its information from one or more of the five senses, through the body of flesh, or the indwelling Holy Spirit. If there is NO indwelling Holy Spirit, the heart (brain) has received ALL its information from the five senses through the body of flesh. Everything they say, know, do, believe, feel, model after, become, or don’t become are all dictated by the five senses through the body of flesh. The soul was created to dominate, rule, be blessed, multiply, and be free to make choices, but it is NOW imprisoned by the dictatorship of the senses through the body of flesh. “…keep (guard) thy heart (brain), with all diligence; for out of it are the issues (informational influences) of life…” (Proverbs 4:23 KJV). All behaviors, that mankind displays outwardly, originate from information within the heart(brain). It is “… from within, out of the heart(brain) of man(woman), proceed evil thoughts (thoughts that command or direct behavior)…these … come from within, and defile a person (taint them by commanding or directing evil behavior)...” (Mark 7:21-23 KJV). The heart (brain), however, “…is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked…who can know it…” (Jeremiah 17:9 KJV).  "…Offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart(brain) the mouth speaks. The good man, out of his good treasure, brings forth good things, and the evil man, out of his evil treasure, brings forth evil things." (Matthew 12:34-35). LET’S LOOK AT THE BODY OF FLESH, THE SOUL, AND THE INDWELLING SPIRIT THROUGH ADAM AND EVE.  GOD, THE HOLY SPIRIT SAID: “…of every tree of the garden THOU MAYEST FREELY EAT: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou  SHALT NOT EAT of it; for in THE DAY THAT THOU EATEST thereof THOU SHALT SURELY DIE…” (Genesis 2:16-17 KJV). THE SERPENT APPEALED TO ONE OR MORE OF THE WOMAN’S SENSES, USING THE BODY OF FLESH. “…The woman [became] ... convinced (THROUGH SOUND) [to eat from the tree, anyway]... She saw (SIGHT) that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked (SIGHT) delicious (TASTE), and she wanted (LUST of the EYES or FLESH) the wisdom (PRIDE of LIFE) it would give her. So she took (TOUCH and EXPERIENCE) some of the fruit and ate it (TASTE)...” (Genesis 3:1-7 NLT). “….She [choose to take (HUMAN WILL)] ... some of the fruit and [eat] ... IT. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and HE ATE IT, too …” (Genesis 3:1-7 NLT). Thus, “…through [the behavior of one man(woman)] ... sin (transgression against God’s holy command) entered (was given ACCESS through disobedience) into the world, and [spiritual] ...death through sin, and so (spiritual) death passed to all men (women)—“(Romans 5:12 KJV). “… One sinner (transgressor of God’s holy law) destroy[ed]… MUCH good…” (Ecclesiastes 9:18 NASB). Three things happened: 1. They became separated from God. 2. They died spiritually; immediately. 3. They became enslaved to the body of flesh through their SENSES.  Adam and Eve had a body of flesh, a soul, and the Spirit, but the Spirit separated from them and thus, they died spiritually. “….let us make man in our image (SPIRIT), after our likeness (SPIRIT)…” (Genesis 1:26 KJV).  “…GOD IS SPIRIT…” (John 4:24 KJV). “…..God created man in his own image (SPIRIT)...male and female created he them…” (Genesis 1:27 KJV). “…GOD IS SPIRIT…” (John 4:24 KJV). “….God formed man of the dust of the ground (body), and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (Spirit); and man became a living soul (soul)…” (Genesis 2:7 KJV). “….let us make man in our image (SPIRIT), after our likeness(SPIRIT)…” (Genesis 1:26 KJV). They were originally created in God’s “image”, which is SPIRIT. “…God is not human …” (Numbers 23:19 NIV). “…GOD IS SPIRIT…” (John 4:24 KJV). “…the Spirit of God dwell in you (dwelt in Adam and Eve)…” (Romans 8:9 KJV). However, they became SEPARATED from the SPIRIT and were left with ONLY the soul and the body of flesh.  Mankind was missing or FELL short of the glory of God (his presence) or was separated from the indwelling Holy Spirit or BREATHE OF LIFE. NOW all humanity is born with the same problem. “…the wages of sin (the payment for having a sin nature only) is death (spiritual death)…” (Romans 6:23 KJV). “…[Now]... all have sinned (all have been born with a sin nature)…” (Romans 3:23 KJV). “…all have ... come short of the glory of God (all are born missing or WITHOUT the indwelling Holy Spirit)…” (Romans 3:23 KJV). "…That which is born of the flesh is flesh…” (John 3:6 KJV). “….I was born a sinner (I was born without the indwelling Holy Spirit)—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me….” (Psalms 51:5 NLT). Adam and Eve had NOTHING to pass down to their descendants, but the flesh nature. Every soul is a dead soul born, into the world without spiritual life, and trapped within the prison of the body of flesh, which is NOW a totally SINFUL NATURE. The BODY of FLESH, without the indwelling Holy Spirit, can ONLY be a SINFUL NATURE, because it was NOT created to OBEY God. “…The ...[flesh]... nature ...never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.…” (Romans 8:1-14 NLT).    Thus, all of mankind is “…DEAD “IN” trespasses and sin (within the body of flesh or sin nature)...” (Ephesians 2:1 KJV). All of mankind is born spiritually DEAD. THE BODY OF FLESH CAN’T OBEY GOD, BECAUSE IT WASN’T CREATED TO OBEY GOD, BUT IT WAS CREATED TO BE A VESSEL AND SERVANT FOR THE “LIVING SOUL.” A FORK, BOWL, PLATE, COUCH, COAT, TELEVISION WAS CREATED TO SERVE ITS PURPOSE “ONLY.” THESE THINGS WILL DO “ONLY” WHAT THEY WERE CREATED TO DO AND WILL NOT OBEY OR SERVE ANY OTHER PURPOSE APPROPRIATELY. IF YOU WERE TRAPPED INSIDE A FORK, BOWL, PLATE, COUCH, COAT, OR TELEVISION YOU COULD NOT MAKE THEM OBEY YOU OR GOD. THEY ARE WHAT THEY ARE. THE BODY OF FLESH “IS” WHAT IT IS! All of mankind is born“…separated from the LIFE of God…” (Ephesians 4:18 NIV). “…GOD IS SPIRIT…” (John 4:24 KJV). “…It is the SPIRIT who gives (spiritual) LIFE…” (John 6:63 NASB). Before sinners are SAVED “…[THEY are] ... DEAD in [their]... transgressions and sins (spiritually dead within the sinful nature)…” (Ephesians 2:1 NIV). “…[The redeemed]... were [once]... dead in [their] sins and ... [NOW]…God made [them]... ALIVE with Christ. He forgave [them]… all [their]… sins…” (Colossians 2:13 NIV). God “….made [the redeemed]… ALIVE with Christ …when [the redeemed]… were DEAD in transgressions…” (Ephesians 2:5 NIV). Like the prodigal son, “… [THEY were]…. DEAD and [have been made]… ALIVE AGAIN; [they were]… lost and [have been]… found…” (Luke 15:24 NIV). If the redeemed were made “ALIVE AGAIN” it implies they were DEAD. The soul was a DEAD soul. “….God formed man of the dust of the ground (body), and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (Spirit); and man became a living soul (soul)…” (Genesis 2:7 KJV). Adam and Eve BECAME a “LIVING” soul AFTER God breathed into mankind’s nostrils the “breath of LIFE.” Spiritually DEAD souls are under the power of the evil one through the body of flesh and the dictates of the senses, which influences them to sin. “…The sin of my SOUL…” (Micah 6:7 KJV). “......I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t …” (Romans 7:14-25 NLT).