The "Natural" State of Man
Real repentance involves change on our part. But why change? And change what? To really answer these questions, we need to understand the natural state of every individual prior to repentance and conversion.
1. God inspired the prophet Jeremiah to describe the basic motivations of the human mind. How does our Creator characterize the natural mind, or "heart," of man? Jeremiah 17:9. Is the natural, unconverted mind of every human being grossly subject to vanity and sin? Romans 8:7-8,20.
2. What are the natural inclinations of the "carnal," physically oriented, unconverted human mind? Galatians 5:19-21; Romans 1:28-32; James 4:1-3. Where do these attitudes of sin actually originate—who is the "father" of sin? John 8:38-44; I John 3:8; Ephesians 2:2-3.
COMMENT: Incredible as it may sound, the natural state of man—what we commonly call "human nature"—is imparted to mankind by that great fallen archangel known as Satan the devil!
Satan is revealed as "the god of this world" (II Corinthians 4:4), who has deceived all nations (Revelation 12:9). He is further revealed as "...the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2).
Satan works in people by "broadcasting" his basic attitude to the mind. He is actually "on the air," so to speak, surcharging the air around the world. The spirit that is in every human (Job 32:8; I Corinthians 2:11) which we discussed in Lesson 5, is "in tune" with Satan's "wavelength." The devil does not broadcast in the words of any language; he does not broadcast in sounds. He broadcasts attitudes of vanity, selfishness, greed, covetousness, lust, jealousy, criticism, envy, resentment, hatred, bitterness and rebellion which our minds receive, perhaps somewhat like a radio receives electromagnetic signals.
These attitudes of Satan in the human mind are actually what we call "human nature." It is in reality Satan's nature which he broadcasts to our minds.
Few people realize that "human nature" has a spiritual side and a physical side. On its spiritual side, it is vanity. Vanity loves to exalt the self. It is self-centered. It is selfish and greedy. It "comes natural" to resent and resist authority.
Even a child begins very early to resist the authority of his parents. As he grows and matures, this tendency to be hostile toward authority increases.
On the physical side, there are "natural" physical pulls and drives that seek to be satisfied regardless of any resultant injury or harm that may come to others or the self. Obviously there are certain physical desires that are not wrong and which God created in us. But when lust and improper use enter the picture, these desires become sin!
3. Therefore, aren't the expressions of Satan's nature criminal in God's sight? I John 3:4.
COMMENT: A well-known cartoon series is titled, "There Oughta' Be a Law." And indeed there is a law against the works of "human nature." It is the Ten Commandment law of God. The expression of mankind's Satan-inspired nature is clearly illegal in God's sight!
Let's take another look at the way man's acquired nature expresses itself.
The "natural" mind, under the influence of Satan's wavelength, loves itself above all else. It is extremely selfish. Next to itself, it loves that which belongs to it or is in some way connected to it — persons, concepts, material possessions. All these are a part of a larger "self" — like a little empire.
This "self empire" even broadens to include the social or occupational group of which the person is a member; then it expands further to include his state, region or nation, and ultimately the whole human society with the beliefs, customs and ideologies which are a part of it. This is the "self" that humanity loves ahead of God and ahead of any other supposed opposer or "outsider."
But don't some few people really love others? — "put themselves out" — spending their time serving? Certainly, to a degree, some have learned it is better to give than to receive. Perhaps they have not followed the devil's philosophy as far as others who are totally "out for number one." Perhaps a few of God's teachings in the Bible have "rubbed off" on them.
But most of the time even apparently altruistic deeds have an ulterior selfish motive—believe it or not!
Those whom God will ultimately change from mortal humans to the divine likeness of God—those who will be born as the very sons of God—are those who repent of this "natural" state of mind and its past sinful actions, and then strive to overcome it from that point on.
4. What, therefore, did Jesus say we are to become like if we expect to enter the Kingdom of God? Matthew 18:2-4.
COMMENT: Most little children do not exhibit the same tendencies of "human nature" as do older children, teenagers and mature adults. We think of very little children as being "sweet" and "innocent," lacking the selfish reasoning of their older counterparts.
But somewhere along the line the attitude of Satan began to make inroads in our minds. We gradually began to be hostile and defiant toward authority to varying degrees. We began to be resentful of being told what to do. We began to be subject to the whims that sprang from the desires of our flesh. Our whole thought processes began to be concerned more with "I," "my," and "me." As a result of the influence of Satan's "broadcasting," we have all fostered and harbored these wrong attitudes.
And so, as Paul was inspired of God to write, "There is none righteous, no, not one..." (Romans 3:9-18,23; also see Ecclesiastes 7:20).
Now stop for a moment and contrast the "natural" mind of a human being with that of God. God is not preoccupied with self. He is totally outgoing in character. He loves all people. Rather than take from them, He wants to give them blessings out of His great love and concern for them. He is not hostile, defiant, rebellious, resentful, selfish.
God wants everyone of us to eventually become like Him. Therefore He wants us to turn from and strive to overcome the evil influence of the devil's attitude on our thinking and doing while still flesh and blood. This is essentially what repentance is all about!
It All Began in Eden
When God created Adam and Eve, He made them physically perfect. They were created in the shape and image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). And everything about them was "good" (verse 31).
They were not composed of spirit but of flesh made of the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7; 3:19). And they had a natural self-concern. God gave this concern to humans for a good and wonderful purpose. It causes us to have a natural and proper interest for our own welfare, our lives, our physical bodies.
Remember, God nowhere says that it is wrong or sinful to have a right and proper love for self: "For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it..." (Ephesians 5:29).
However, we are told to love others as much as we love ourselves (Matthew 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:33; Ephesians 5:28). It is only when we love ourselves beyond the necessary self-concern, and at the expense of others, that it becomes sin.
When Adam and Eve were created, their nature was "neutral" toward God. It was not antagonistic to God. Neither was there any built-in "programmed" tendency to do right and to obey Him. They were—as first created—entirely humble and teachable, like little children (Matthew 18:3-4).
But then the devil appeared. Cunningly appealing to Eve's natural self-concern, he first tempted her and then Adam (through his wife— Genesis 3:6, 17).
Adam and Eve let the devil appeal to their desire to be "wise." Therefore they took to themselves the knowledge of what is good and what is evil—deciding for themselves right from wrong. In so doing, they rebelled against God's authority, disobeyed the law—the command—He had given them, and sinned. By this act they chose and acquired the "nature" or attitude of sin from Satan.
This is how sin "entered into the world" by one man, Adam (Romans 5:12). And the death penalty has passed on to all; not because of Adam's sin—not by heredity—but because "all have [likewise] sinned" (same verse).
All of us, as little babies, had a humble, teachable nature like Adam and Eve. But as we grew older we unwittingly allowed our minds to be influenced by Satan in the wrong direction. We, too, have therefore sinned (first against our parents, then against God), having become antagonistic, hostile, and "carnal" beyond the mere fact of being fleshly.
Real repentance involves change on our part. But why change? And change what? To really answer these questions, we need to understand the natural state of every individual prior to repentance and conversion.
1. God inspired the prophet Jeremiah to describe the basic motivations of the human mind. How does our Creator characterize the natural mind, or "heart," of man? Jeremiah 17:9. Is the natural, unconverted mind of every human being grossly subject to vanity and sin? Romans 8:7-8,20.
2. What are the natural inclinations of the "carnal," physically oriented, unconverted human mind? Galatians 5:19-21; Romans 1:28-32; James 4:1-3. Where do these attitudes of sin actually originate—who is the "father" of sin? John 8:38-44; I John 3:8; Ephesians 2:2-3.
COMMENT: Incredible as it may sound, the natural state of man—what we commonly call "human nature"—is imparted to mankind by that great fallen archangel known as Satan the devil!
Satan is revealed as "the god of this world" (II Corinthians 4:4), who has deceived all nations (Revelation 12:9). He is further revealed as "...the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2).
Satan works in people by "broadcasting" his basic attitude to the mind. He is actually "on the air," so to speak, surcharging the air around the world. The spirit that is in every human (Job 32:8; I Corinthians 2:11) which we discussed in Lesson 5, is "in tune" with Satan's "wavelength." The devil does not broadcast in the words of any language; he does not broadcast in sounds. He broadcasts attitudes of vanity, selfishness, greed, covetousness, lust, jealousy, criticism, envy, resentment, hatred, bitterness and rebellion which our minds receive, perhaps somewhat like a radio receives electromagnetic signals.
These attitudes of Satan in the human mind are actually what we call "human nature." It is in reality Satan's nature which he broadcasts to our minds.
Few people realize that "human nature" has a spiritual side and a physical side. On its spiritual side, it is vanity. Vanity loves to exalt the self. It is self-centered. It is selfish and greedy. It "comes natural" to resent and resist authority.
Even a child begins very early to resist the authority of his parents. As he grows and matures, this tendency to be hostile toward authority increases.
On the physical side, there are "natural" physical pulls and drives that seek to be satisfied regardless of any resultant injury or harm that may come to others or the self. Obviously there are certain physical desires that are not wrong and which God created in us. But when lust and improper use enter the picture, these desires become sin!
3. Therefore, aren't the expressions of Satan's nature criminal in God's sight? I John 3:4.
COMMENT: A well-known cartoon series is titled, "There Oughta' Be a Law." And indeed there is a law against the works of "human nature." It is the Ten Commandment law of God. The expression of mankind's Satan-inspired nature is clearly illegal in God's sight!
Let's take another look at the way man's acquired nature expresses itself.
The "natural" mind, under the influence of Satan's wavelength, loves itself above all else. It is extremely selfish. Next to itself, it loves that which belongs to it or is in some way connected to it — persons, concepts, material possessions. All these are a part of a larger "self" — like a little empire.
This "self empire" even broadens to include the social or occupational group of which the person is a member; then it expands further to include his state, region or nation, and ultimately the whole human society with the beliefs, customs and ideologies which are a part of it. This is the "self" that humanity loves ahead of God and ahead of any other supposed opposer or "outsider."
But don't some few people really love others? — "put themselves out" — spending their time serving? Certainly, to a degree, some have learned it is better to give than to receive. Perhaps they have not followed the devil's philosophy as far as others who are totally "out for number one." Perhaps a few of God's teachings in the Bible have "rubbed off" on them.
But most of the time even apparently altruistic deeds have an ulterior selfish motive—believe it or not!
Those whom God will ultimately change from mortal humans to the divine likeness of God—those who will be born as the very sons of God—are those who repent of this "natural" state of mind and its past sinful actions, and then strive to overcome it from that point on.
4. What, therefore, did Jesus say we are to become like if we expect to enter the Kingdom of God? Matthew 18:2-4.
COMMENT: Most little children do not exhibit the same tendencies of "human nature" as do older children, teenagers and mature adults. We think of very little children as being "sweet" and "innocent," lacking the selfish reasoning of their older counterparts.
But somewhere along the line the attitude of Satan began to make inroads in our minds. We gradually began to be hostile and defiant toward authority to varying degrees. We began to be resentful of being told what to do. We began to be subject to the whims that sprang from the desires of our flesh. Our whole thought processes began to be concerned more with "I," "my," and "me." As a result of the influence of Satan's "broadcasting," we have all fostered and harbored these wrong attitudes.
And so, as Paul was inspired of God to write, "There is none righteous, no, not one..." (Romans 3:9-18,23; also see Ecclesiastes 7:20).
Now stop for a moment and contrast the "natural" mind of a human being with that of God. God is not preoccupied with self. He is totally outgoing in character. He loves all people. Rather than take from them, He wants to give them blessings out of His great love and concern for them. He is not hostile, defiant, rebellious, resentful, selfish.
God wants everyone of us to eventually become like Him. Therefore He wants us to turn from and strive to overcome the evil influence of the devil's attitude on our thinking and doing while still flesh and blood. This is essentially what repentance is all about!
It All Began in Eden
When God created Adam and Eve, He made them physically perfect. They were created in the shape and image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). And everything about them was "good" (verse 31).
They were not composed of spirit but of flesh made of the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7; 3:19). And they had a natural self-concern. God gave this concern to humans for a good and wonderful purpose. It causes us to have a natural and proper interest for our own welfare, our lives, our physical bodies.
Remember, God nowhere says that it is wrong or sinful to have a right and proper love for self: "For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it..." (Ephesians 5:29).
However, we are told to love others as much as we love ourselves (Matthew 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:33; Ephesians 5:28). It is only when we love ourselves beyond the necessary self-concern, and at the expense of others, that it becomes sin.
When Adam and Eve were created, their nature was "neutral" toward God. It was not antagonistic to God. Neither was there any built-in "programmed" tendency to do right and to obey Him. They were—as first created—entirely humble and teachable, like little children (Matthew 18:3-4).
But then the devil appeared. Cunningly appealing to Eve's natural self-concern, he first tempted her and then Adam (through his wife— Genesis 3:6, 17).
Adam and Eve let the devil appeal to their desire to be "wise." Therefore they took to themselves the knowledge of what is good and what is evil—deciding for themselves right from wrong. In so doing, they rebelled against God's authority, disobeyed the law—the command—He had given them, and sinned. By this act they chose and acquired the "nature" or attitude of sin from Satan.
This is how sin "entered into the world" by one man, Adam (Romans 5:12). And the death penalty has passed on to all; not because of Adam's sin—not by heredity—but because "all have [likewise] sinned" (same verse).
All of us, as little babies, had a humble, teachable nature like Adam and Eve. But as we grew older we unwittingly allowed our minds to be influenced by Satan in the wrong direction. We, too, have therefore sinned (first against our parents, then against God), having become antagonistic, hostile, and "carnal" beyond the mere fact of being fleshly.
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