Before we begin to study this very important topic for today, there are some fundamental truths pertaining to the human experience that we should fully understand. All human beings are born with fallen natures and natural tendencies to do evil, regardless of our upbringing, indoctrination in the truth, culture, race, education, or social standing. When we use the term “Fallen nature” we are referring to those natural desires that we were originally made with, that were severely compromised after Adam and Eve chose to sin.
For instance, the acute pangs of hunger we sometimes suffer, would never have reached those extremes in a perfect world, with a fine tuned body. The drowsiness and fatigue we experience after working, was not the result God originally intended. Then again, those acute sexual impulses which sometimes threaten our sanity, were not originally intended to have such a dramatic effect on our physical bodies, so as to push us into irrational behaviors.
The well-balanced human body with its finely tuned organs, nerves, cells, and all that pertains to it, was originally designed by God to be a harmonious and perfect whole, being governed by an intelligent and rational thinking mind, that was in harmony with both God’s natural and physical laws. However when sin entered our world, the whole human frame was thrown out of equilibrium, and was now governed by impulse, feelings, emotions and cravings, often with no regard for law, or the rights of others, or even for our own well-being.
The abnormal tendencies of ours which crave good things in excess, like food, drink and sex, and evil things such as alcohol, drugs, and polygamy without restrictions, are what we are referring to as evil propensities. These evil biases also have their spiritual counterparts in the form of pride, revenge, covetousness, anger, greed, self-preservation, malice and general animosity towards God. Let’s read:
Psalms 14:2 The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, [and] seek God.
14:3 They are all gone aside, they are [all] together become filthy: [there is] none that doeth good, no, not one.
Another point to consider as we move forward, is that both Adam and Eve sinned through the decision making process of free choice. Eve’s decision to sin was based on deceptions presented to her, but Adam’s decision was based on conscious knowledge of wrong doing, and therefore the propensity to sin was deeply etched into the human conscience through his sin, and thus it was passed on to all future generations as a genetic and hereditary problem. Let’s read:
1st Timothy 2:13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
2:14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
That’s why the phrase “Sins of the fathers” are mentioned or referred to several times in the scriptures, whereas the phrase “Sins of the mothers” are not mentioned even once, not merely because it may have been a chauvinistic society back then, but rather because it is a genetic and scientific fact, that all children inherit the propensity to sin from their fathers, not from their mothers. This profound truth should serve the purpose of restraining fathers from indulging and knowingly cultivating sin, for then we will pass on the genetic tendencies to our children as a legacy. We are going to confirm this sobering truth from several places in the Bible. Let’s read:
Exodus 34:6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
34:7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear [the guilty]; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth [generation].
Nehemiah 9:2 And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.
Isaiah 65:7 Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the LORD, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom.
Lamentations 5:7 Our fathers have sinned, [and are] not; and we have borne their iniquities.
Daniel 9:16 O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people [are become] a reproach to all [that are] about us.
Psalms 106:6 We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
106:7 Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked [him] at the sea, [even] at the Red sea.
Jeremiah 14:20 We acknowledge, O LORD, our wickedness, [and] the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against thee.
Ezekiel 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
And for those who might still be sitting on the fence as it pertains to this truth, we will now carefully observe what the scriptures say about Jezebel, a notoriously evil woman who influenced, and almost bullied her husband Ahab into doing evil. Let’s read:
1st kings 18:4 For it was [so], when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
1st Kings 19:1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.
19:2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do [to me], and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.
19:3 And when he saw [that], he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which [belongeth] to Judah, and left his servant there.
1st kings 21:25 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
21:26 And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all [things] as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
1st Kings 22:51 Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel.
22:52 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin:
22:53 For he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.
It’s not that the sins of mothers do not have a negative impact on their offspring, they do, but what the Bible is saying is that the propensity or the “Drive” to sin is perpetuated by the fathers. We inherit our fallen nature from both our parents, but the biased tendency to do evil inevitably comes from the fathers alone, and that’s why we should be extremely careful when quoting or studying the following texts.
Hebrews 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto [his] brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things [pertaining] to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.
4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
There was absolutely no bent or bias to sin in Christ, for even though He got his fallen nature from Mary, yet God was His father, and therefore it was impossible for Him to be born with any natural tendency to do evil as we are. However, the Bible states explicitly that Jesus was severely tempted, and suffered through these temptations, because they were tailor-made to address the acute cravings of our fallen nature such as hunger and thirst etc, but we must also remember that there is nothing that is intrinsically wrong with being hungry. The sin on appetite occurs when we fulfill these severe cravings in a way that is contrary to God’s written or revealed will.
Let’s observe the following scriptures very carefully, line upon line, before we proceed. Let’s read:
Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
These passages of scripture teach us beyond all doubt that Jesus is fully God. Now let’s see what the scriptures say about God, as it pertains to the issue of evil or sinful tendencies. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 32:3 Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.
32:4 [He is] the Rock, his work [is] perfect: for all his ways [are] judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right [is] he.
James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.
In order for us to understand this verse in context, we need to observe the process that leads to sin as it occurs in fallen man. Let’s read:
James 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Many people, even amongst Christians, erroneously believe that the temptations presented to Christ, were a breeze for Him to overcome, because of the fact that there was to tendency to evil in Him. Nothing could be further from the truth, as a matter of fact, we will never ever be tempted as fiercely as Jesus was, for God has plainly stated in His word that he places a limit on satan to prevent him from tempting us too harshly, so that we fall. There was no such limit on the temptations of Christ, for the devil was permitted to pull out all the stops, by taking Jesus to the very edge of resistance, if by any means he could cause Him to sin. Let’s read:
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
Men generally have a much more difficult time resisting sexual sins than women, yet we have never ever heard or read of any man resisting adultery until he starts to bleed. Let’s read again:
Hebrews 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
Question: So how was Christ “Severely tempted”?
In order for us to better understand the nature of Christ’s sufferings under temptation we are going to present an allegory of Jesus and a man by the name of John, whose father and grandfather were very heavy drinkers, and thus they passed on to him an inherited propensity to drink alcohol.
Jesus, whose main trade is carpentry sets out early one morning with John to complete a project they had started in one of the neighborhood homes in the vicinity of Nazareth. The place is about thirty miles walking distance from where they are, and so they leave quite early to arrive at around 9:30 am.
Upon arrival they immediately set about working, cutting and fitting the heavy wood that the job required. At last, the job is completed and they set out on their long journey home, even though they have not drank any water or liquids for the entire day.
They travel about fifteen miles when they begin to feel the effects of dehydration. Their lips are dried and parched from the sweltering summer sun, and their footsteps are now slow and faltering, yet they press on, hoping to find some local shop or neighborhood grocery where they can procure the fluids they so desperately need. Christ suffers severely and John suffers severely, yet they must keep on moving, lest they give up hope and go into shock as a result.
Finally in the distance, they see what seems to be a seven eleven store, and so they try to hasten their footsteps, but upon arriving, they discover that the store only has Pepsi and Bud light in the huge refrigerator. John who has a naturally tendency to drink alcohol, eagerly reaches for the cold Bud light to quench his thirst, while Jesus searches in vain for some zephyr hills water, or at least some fruit juice.
Finding none, He then searches for the next best option, some soy milk, but the local store does not carry that product either. John looks on intently to see what Jesus would do to alleviate his intense suffering, but to his dismay, watches as Christ slowly closes the refrigerator and walks away in utter disappointment.
They continue on their journey in the twilight hours, but John is now gravely concerned for Jesus’ well being, as he knows that He could not continue on like that for much longer. Suddenly, without warning, Christ’s steps falter, and He falls to the ground suffering from extreme heat exhaustion and dehydration, yet He refuses to have one of the cold six packs, which John had purchased. His eyes are now dim and He begins to hallucinate, as he struggles to maintain consciousness, but by and by, Christ’s voice goes silent as He slips into unconsciousness, because he refuses to satisfy His acute thirst with a product that’s forbidden in the word of God. Let’s read the word again:
You {“John”} have not resisted unto blood striving against sin, and you and I will never suffer like Christ suffered, because of the limitations which God has placed on satan. What the devil often does is to push us to the edge of the precipice, and then offer us an alternative way out of our predicaments, using methods, products, and devices that are forbidden in God’s word, hence the reason why Christ suffered so violently under the determined assaults of the evil one. Let’s read:
John 19:28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
Matthew 27:33 And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,
27:34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted [thereof], he would not drink.
We are to overcome sin and evil tendencies just like Jesus did, through the power of the Holy Spirit, working through our freedom of choice, and it begins in the little things. The next time we open the refrigerator, and we are faced with a choice of Heinekin or orange juice, let us choose the good instead of the evil, and if there are no good options available, as in the allegory with Christ, then we must determine beforehand that we will not venture out of the parameters which God has set, by defiling ourselves with what He has condemned.
These little choices for righteousness on a day to day basis, then sets up a pattern of behavior that becomes a habit, and when habit is fully developed, it becomes an integral part of the fabric of our characters.
Now it’s very important for us to know that the devil has no interest in one-time sins that do not cause real long-term damage. His steadfast purpose is to get us to open the doors of sinful indulgence through which he can tempt, annoy and harass us for very many years. For instance, in Genesis we read of one door that was opened up by Abraham, acting on the advice of his wife Sarah, through which the devil was then able to tempt, and make life almost unbearable for their household for many years. Not only did he make their lives miserable, but the after effects of that one bad choice has continued on for thousands of generations, even to the twenty-first century, in which Abraham’s descendents continue to “duke it out”, with no permanent resolution in sight. Let’s read:
Genesis 16:1 Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name [was] Hagar.
16:2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
16:3 And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
16:4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
16:5 And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong [be] upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.
These bad choices that are cultivated through our own choice, decisions, and sinful indulgence, are usually the most difficult to overcome, for some of them continue to plague us even after we have given our lives to Christ. So here comes Jesus, who then makes a series of very profound promises in helping us to live victoriously. Let’s read:
1st John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
2nd Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do [them].
So the question is why do we continue to struggle with some of those old inherited and cultivated tendencies to evil? Why doesn’t God just snap His fingers, work a miracle, and cause them to disappear permanently, as He obviously can?
In answering this very important question we must state unequivocally, that God is able to reverse instantly and permanently, all genetic and cherished propensities to evil, but He must of necessity leave some of them in place for a while so that we can deliberately choose to serve Him, by deciding in favor of righteousness over evil.
Otherwise, if God were to miraculously take away every sinful tendency from us at the time of our conversion, we would be then made into spiritual robots, having no valid, ongoing choice in the matter of free and willing service. But the habit and pattern of deliberate right-doing must be set up by us as free moral agents, to which God then adds His omnipotent power to make effectual, the good we have chosen.
However, this process of decision and consequent cleansing does take time. It took time for sinful behaviors to be entrenched into our characters through habitual choice, and it will take time for some of them to be uprooted, and in their place, righteousness be etched into our consciences. It all takes time, effort, deliberate, consistent choice, and omnipotent power working in and for us, through much prayer, grace and faith in God. Let’s read:
2nd Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
1st Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
1st Corinthians 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
9:26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Ephesians 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
We therefore turn to a passage of scripture which encapsulates in précis form, the process of gaining the victory over inherited and cultivated tendencies. It is taken from the Old Testament, and it is written in dark sentences, but spiritual things are spiritually discerned, and therefore the sacred truths contained therein would be made plain to the eye of the beholder. Let’s read:
Joshua 10:14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.
10:15 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.
10:16 But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah.
10:17 And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah.
10:18 And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them:
10:19 And stay ye not, [but] pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the LORD your God hath delivered them into your hand.
10:21 And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace: none moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.
10:22 Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave.
10:23 And they did so, and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, [and] the king of Eglon.
10:24 And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.
These five kings or sins here represented, must be eradicated by Joshua in conjunction with the heirs of salvation, for all spiritual victories are won in cooperation with God, that’s why He calls his chosen ones ISRAEL. Ish, the Hebrew word for man, Ra, the Hebrew word for evil, and El, the Hebrew word for God, but observe where Ra is placed, and then let’s look at the next passage. Let’s read:
Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid [his] face from you, that he will not hear.
59:3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.
Joshua 10:25 And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.
10:26 And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.
May we be found faithful in waging war against those inherited and cultivated tendencies to evil, for God is one day going to grant us the entire victory, if we cooperate with Him in uprooting these “five kings”. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to keep pressing forward in the name and strength of Christ, for in due time we will reap if we faint not. Let’s read:
Philippians1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform [it] until the day of Jesus Christ:
May God add His blessing to the study and doing of His every word. God bless!