Is Man Basically Good?

Historic Baptists believe in the total hereditary depravity of mankind. They view man as being basically evil.
Religious liberals do not believe in the total hereditary depravity of mankind. They view man as being basically good.

What does the Bible teach concerning these matters?

The Bible speaks very clearly on this issue. As a direct result of the sin committed
by the entire human race in and with Adam,

Each and every descendent of Adam is by nature:


• A child of wrath
  
  Ephesians  2:1-3
  1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
  2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,
  the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
  3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the
  flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others
  
  
• Spiritually dead in trespasses and sins
  
  John 5:24
  24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me,
  hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life
  
  Colossians 2:13
  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
  hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses
  
  
• Alienated from the life and family of God
  John. 8:42-44
  42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God;
  neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
  44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning,
  and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
  
  Ephesians 4:18
  18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God
  through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
  
  
• At enmity with God
  
  Romans. 8:7
  7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
  
  
• Under the righteous judgment and wrath of God
  John. 3:36
  36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that
  believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
  
  Romans. 1:18
  18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness
  and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
  
  Romans 3:19
  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
  
  
• Lost
  
  Luke. 19:10
  10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
  
  
• Perishing and Condemned
  John. 3:15-17
  15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
  16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
  believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son
  into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
  
  
• Wholly inclined to Evil
  
  Job 15:16
  16 How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?
  
  Jeremiah. 13:23
  23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?
  then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil
  Jeremiah 17:9
  9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
  
  
• Without Strength
  Romans 5:6
  6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly
  
  
• Without hope
  
  Ephesians 2:12
  12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel,
  and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world
  
• Unless saved by the Lord Jesus Christ
  
  Matthew 1:21
  21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name
  JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
  
  
• Made spiritually alive by the Holy Spirit
  John. 3:3-5
  3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again,
  he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old?
  can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily,
  I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God
  
  John 6:63
  63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing:
  the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
  
  II Cor. 3:6
  6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter,
  but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life

Man is not basically good, but basically evil

Romans. 3:10-23
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. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 5:12-21
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses,
even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God,
and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 16 And not as it was by one that sinned,
so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Man is not basically good, but basically evil

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