Slithering Snakes and More

From The Good News We Almost Forgot by Kevin DeYoung

Because of Adam's sin, 

• God curses the serpent, 
• curses the woman, 
• curses the man, 
• and curses the ground.  

So snakes slither, 

• women have pain in childbirth, 
• men are frustrated by work, 
• and the earth produces thorns and thistles.  

From the Heidelberg Catechism Day 3

Q. Since God created people good and in His own image, where does this corrupt human nature come from?

A. From the fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise.  

• This fall so poisoned our nature that we are born sinners - corrupt from conception on. 

Q.  But are we so corrupt that we are totally unable to do any good and inclined toward all evil?

A. Yes, 

• unless we are born again, 
• by the Spirit of God.

For the Bible Tells Me So...

Genesis 3 

Romans 5:12,18,19 

• Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned….
• Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 
• For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. 

Psalm 51:5 

• Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, 
• and in sin my mother conceived me

Genesis 6:5 

• Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, 
• and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 

Genesis 8:21 

• And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. 
• Then the LORD said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, 
• although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; 
• nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. 

Job 14:4 

• Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one! 

Isaiah 53:6 

• All we like sheep have gone astray; 
• we have turned, every one, to his own way; 
• and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 

John 3:3-5 

• Jesus answered and said to him, 
• “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, 
• he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 
• Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
• Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

From The Good News We Almost Forgot by Kevin DeYoung

Trying to live a Jesus life won't help get us to heaven 

• and it will only discourage us over the long haul 
• if we are not born again.  

This is where socially minded Christians sometimes get off track.  

• They want the world to live like Jesus, 
• but they forget that we can't live like Jesus 
• unless the Spirit of Jesus first changes us.