206 – The Fallen State of Man (His Character)

BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE

COURSE: SOTERIOLOGY I LESSON # 6

THE FALLEN STATE OF MAN (HIS CHARACTER)

INTRODUCTION:

1. Remember how the term soteriology refers to the study of our spiritual health.
2. It deals with our salvation, (deliverance) but from what must we be saved or delivered?
3. In Adam’s original state, he needed no deliverance, it was his fall that necessitated it.
4. Therefore, we must study to see what the state of man is after the fall.
5. When we refer to man’s character and action, we call him a sinner.
6. When we refer to his condition, we call him depraved, or totally depraved.
7. We shall consider man’s fallen state from the standpoint of character in this lesson

I. THE NATURE OF SIN

1. Sin as an act or acts (transgression). (1Jo 3:4

)
2. Sin as a principle (an act or attitude of rebellion against God).
3. Sin in its essence (self instead of God).

i. Lovers of self more than lovers of God. (2Ti 3:3-4

)
ii. Self-exaltation and assertion (self instead of God). (2Th 2:4

)
iii. The subsequent rejection of divine law (love God supremely).
iv. Satan fell because of self-exaltation.
v. Adam’s (man’s) fall came through placing self above God.
vi. Cain killed Abel because of self-will.
vii. Men refuse to repent, because of self-determination.

i. Sin reigns in attitudes before it reigns in acts.
Ill: Man sins because he is a sinner, not vice versa.
ii. It issues in omission as well as in action.
iii. Sin is biblically ascribed to affections. (Gen. 6:5

)
iv. The very state of man is sin. (Rom 7:8

,11

,13

,14

,17

,20

)
v. Sin is the reigning principle in all natural men.

II. THE UNIVERSALITY OF SIN IN HUMANITY

Though many think that culture, religion or background has delivered them or their offspring (essentially), this human problem is universal. This is obvious from:

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