What does the Bible teach about the nature of man? Does it teach that man is injured or something else? Does the Bible teach that man is totally depraved? Let us look at what Roman Catholicism teaches on the nature of man. I would suggest to you that Rome has her problems in criminal rape because she does not understand the nature of man. I wouldn't say that those who do understand total depravity never harmed anyone but I would suggest to you I have heard it less often than in Roman Catholicism. I suggest to you that we must understand the nature of man not to glorify man but to take the proper steps in believing the unified and pure righteousness of Christ alone by faith alone.
1714 Man, having been wounded in his nature by original sin, is subject to error and inclined to evil in exercising his freedom.
Here we see that Rome teaches that man is wounded in his nature because of original sin. I suggest to you that the word "wounded" does not correspond with the Bible's view of the nature of man. Here is what Rome teaches in her Observations on ARCIC II’s Salvation and the Church that states,
With good reason the document seeks to address the question of good works beginning with a reflection on freedom, but the approach adopted remains insufficient from many points of view. The pre-eminent gift of that freedom which resulted from the redemption is properly underlined: “In restoring us to his likeness, God confers freedom on fallen humanity.'' But the explanation which follows provokes puzzlement: “This is not the natural freedom to choose between alternatives, but the freedom to do his will” (No. 19). Such an opposition between two kinds of freedom could in fact refer to a conception of human freedom which does not take full account of its created nature. According to Catholic doctrine, the deprivation of original righteousness which followed upon the sin of Adam 5 makes human persons incapable of tending, with the powers that remain to them, toward the supernatural end for which they were created. Nevertheless, as the Council of Trent adds in this perspective, sin does not totally corrupt human nature; it injures human nature without taking away its original capacity of pleasing God (cf. DS 1555, 1557, etc.).Lets look at what the Bible teaches. We shall see that it is a vastly different picture than what Rome teaches about the nature of man. I suggest to you that we need to listen carefully at what is being said.
Romans 3 KJV
9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:
17 And the way of peace have they not known:
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Genesis 6:11 KJV
The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
Genesis 6:12 KJV
And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
Exodus 32:7 KJV
And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:
Leviticus 22:25 KJV
Neither from a stranger's hand shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these; because their corruption is in them, and blemishes be in them: they shall not be accepted for you.
Nehemiah 1:7 KJV
We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.
Psalm 14:1 KJV
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Isaiah 1:4 KJV
Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.
2 Peter 2:19 KJV
While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
Jude 1:10 KJV
But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
Revelation 19:2 KJV
For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
Romans 1:23 KJV
And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Romans 7:18 KJV
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
I would suggest to you that the Bible teaches that man is no good and that he is radically corrupt. How can we deal with the man's sin problem if we do not deal correctly with his fallen nature? Maybe if we do not deal with man's fallen nature we will be taken off guard by gross or great sin. May Rome repent of her false doctrine and come to the knowledge of the divine truth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen.
