Depravity

Depravity is a word used to describe the corruption of human beings by sin. When Adam rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden, sin affected every area of his life – his body, mind, emotions and heart. Adam’s descendants have inherited a sinful nature from him, so that we too are corrupted in every way from the day we are born (Psalm 51:3-5, Romans 5:12). This is not to say that we are ‘as sinful as we can be’, but rather that as sin has infected every area of our lives, we are totally unable to please God by any apparently ‘good’ actions we might do (Titus 1:15-16, Romans 8:8). This depravity also limits human beings in their ability to know God or understand the truth about Him (Romans 1:28). It is because we are so depraved that we are in such great need of a Saviour, a second ‘Adam’ – Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:22) – through whom we can know God, be cleansed from sin and given new life. (See Sinful Nature, Flesh)