The sermon by Eric Bechler focuses on chapter 6, paragraph 4 of the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689, discussing the fall of man, sin, and punishment. It emphasizes the concept of 'original corruption,' whereby all humans are inherently inclined towards evil due to the imputation of Adam's sin. The sermon expounds on total depravity, meaning every part of human nature is tainted by sin, making humans unable to please God or seek Him without divine intervention. This inherent corruption leads to actual transgressions, as humans lack righteousness and spiritual influence from the Holy Spirit. The sermon highlights biblical references to support these ideas and addresses common misconceptions about total depravity. Despite humanity's sinful state, God's plan of redemption through Jesus offers hope and salvation, emphasizing the need for humility, gratitude, and heartfelt worship.

Our reading this morning from the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689 comes from chapter 6 again, of the fall of man of sin and of the punishment thereof. This is paragraph 4 today. From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions. This week we continue our review of chapter 6 of the London Baptist Confession of the fall of man and of sin and of the punishment thereof. Last week we touched on Adam being the representative for mankind.

And by his transgression, the guilt being the just liability to the punishment which that sin deserved was by God imputed to each of Adam's natural descendants. Imputed, again, meaning to lay the charge or credit of anyone as a ground of judicial punishment or justification. Thus we find ourselves at the point of conception of having the guilt of Adam's first sin imputed to us, the lack of original righteousness and the corruption of our whole nature. In paragraph four today, there are two points raised from the original corruption, we are inclined, wholly inclined to all evil. And from the original corruption, proceed all actual transgressions.

Let's look into this a little closer to make sure we understand what is being said here and we'll break it into these two parts. First, from this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good and holy, inclined to all evil. What is meant by this original corruption? This is the state we find ourselves in. Again from last week, since Adam was the representative man, when he transgressed God's command, the guilt of that first sin was imputed to us in a corrupted nature conveyed to us.

Us here is meaning all of his natural descendants, meaning having a mother and a father. Paul tells us of our condition in his letter to the Romans in chapter 3, verses 10 through 12. As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth. There is none that seeketh after God.

They are all gone out of the way. They are together become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good, no, not one. So from this utter original corruption, we are, as it says, utterly disposed to all good. We're disabled with respect to right moral action.

We're made opposite to all good and wholly inclined to all evil. This sounds pretty bad. However, scripture reinforces this in many, many places. We'll look at Paul bringing this up in his letter to the Romans in chapter 7, verse 18. For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing.

For to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. In Romans 8, 7, and 8, because the carnal mine is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then that they that are in the flesh cannot please God." We also listen to God speaking to Himself in Genesis 8 after the flood in 821. And the Lord smelled a sweet savor and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground anymore for man's sake, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I again smite anymore every living thing as I have done In our second part today from this original corruption do proceed all actual transgressions From this corrupted state.

We are lacking righteousness We're lacking any spiritual influences of the Holy Spirit. And from this corrupted state, all of our sins come forth. We read in James chapter 1, verses 14 and 15, But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed, and when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. In Matthew 7, 17, and 18, even so Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

In Matthew 15, in 18 through 20, but those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man. But to eat with unwashed hands defileth not a man. And finally in 1 Corinthians 2, 14, but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him.

Neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." So what we've covered in this paragraph today, not a very long paragraph, but it touches upon one of the doctrines of the Church. It's actually one of the letters of the tulip T. Total depravity. Some prefer to call it total inability. So I'd like to touch briefly here on what is total depravity.

I found a pretty thorough description of it that I'd like to read from a website, GotQuestions.org, that had a nice description of this I'd like to share. While often misunderstood, the doctrine of total depravity is an acknowledgement that the Bible teaches that as a result of the fall of man in Genesis 3 6 Every part of man his mind his will his emotions his flesh Have been corrupted by sin in other words sin affects all areas of our being, including who we are and what we do. It penetrates to the very core of our being so that everything is tainted by sin. All our righteous acts are like filthy rags before a holy God, " it says in Isaiah 64. It acknowledges that the Bible teaches that we sin because we're sinners by nature.

Or as Jesus says, So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. And a good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. We read that previously. The total depravity of man is seen throughout the Bible. Man's heart is deceitful and desperately wicked.

The Bible also teaches us that man is born dead in transgression and in sin. The Bible teaches that because unregenerate man is dead in transgressions, he is held captive by a love for sin so that he will not seek God, because he loves the darkness and does not understand the things of God. Therefore men suppress the truth of God in unrighteousness and continue to willfully live in sin because they are totally depraved. This sinful lifestyle seems right to men, so they reject the gospel of Christ as foolishness. And their mind is hostile toward God, for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is unable to do so." There's a common misconception here regarding total depravity.

Total depravity does not mean that man is as wicked or sinful as he could be. Nor does it mean that man is without a conscious or any sense of right or wrong. Neither does it mean that man does not or cannot do things that seem to be good when viewed from a human perspective or measured against a human standard. It does not even mean that man cannot do things that seem to conform outwardly to the law of God. What the Bible does teach and what total depravity does recognize is that even the good things man does are tainted by sin because they are not done for the glory of God and out of faith in him.

While man looks upon the outward acts and judges them to be good, God looks upon not only the outward act, but also the inward motives that lie behind them, and because they proceed from a heart that is in rebellion against Him, and they are not done for His glory, Even these good deeds are like filthy rags in his sight." In other words, fallen man's good deeds are motivated not by a desire to please God, but by our own self-interest and are thus corrupted to the point where God declares there is no one who does good. No, not one. So hopefully everyone has come to a place where it is clear we are his filthy rags. It's only from here that we can clearly see how desperately we need a Savior. And while God had a plan, he had a plan of redemption, and God sent his Son, he sent a Savior.

We read in John 3, 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. In Romans 5-6, for when we were yet without strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. And although we cannot seek God, God can seek us. In John 6 65, and he said, Therefore said I unto you that no man can come unto me except it were given unto him of my father. And John 6 39 and 40, and this is the Father's will which has sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at that last day and this is the will of him that sent me that everyone which seeeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day." Praise the Lord.

Our worship time here is a special time. It's a time we set apart each week specifically for God's people to come together to worship, to worship the King of the universe, to worship the Creator of all things. As we reflect on the doctrine of total depravity and of our own condition. Perhaps our praising God and worshiping him would be more heartfelt and more serious. I pray that we would all be more humble towards God and in our interactions with others.

And I pray finally, we would all be more thankful to God for all that He has done for each one of us. Amen.