The sermon by Eric Bechler, titled 'Of the Fall of Man,' explores paragraph 4 of chapter 6 from the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession. It discusses the original corruption from Adam's transgression, which leads to a state of being inclined to all evil and the source of all actual transgressions. The speaker references various theologians like Anthony Burgess and Louis Burkhoff to categorize sin into original, habitual, and actual. The concept of original sin is detailed as the imputed guilt and inherent pollution affecting all descendants of Adam, except Christ. The sermon elaborates on total depravity, explaining that all parts of human nature are corrupted by sin, limiting the ability to choose God without divine grace. It concludes with a reflection on the hope and redemption available through Christ, encouraging believers to embrace humility, gratitude, and hope in eternal life with Christ.

Our reading today of the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession comes from chapter 6 of the Fall of Man of Sin and of the Punishment Thereof. Today is paragraph 4. From the 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 six. Last week we touched on Adam being the representative head of mankind. By his transgression, the guilt was by God imputed to each of Adam's natural descendants.

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. There are two main points raised in our paragraph today. First from the original corruption, we are inclined, wholly inclined to all evil. And second, from the original corruption, proceed all actual transgressions. Before we get to those two points, I want to comment on the types of sin.

Some Puritans break them into original and actual. Anthony Burgess, a Puritan from the early 1600s, breaks them into three categories, original, habitual, and actual. Louis Burkhoff offers an explanation for the reasons of the term original sin and offers also a caution. We use the term original sin, one, because it is derived from the original root of the human race. Two, because it is present in the life of every individual except for Christ from the same time of his birth, here meaning conception, and therefore cannot be regarded as the result of imitation.

And three, because it is the inward root of all the actual sins that defile the life of man. We should guard against the mistake of thinking that the term in any way implies that the sin designated by it belongs to the original constitution of human nature, which would imply that God created man as a sinner. But we know at the end at the end of God's creation work he declared that it was all very good. Wilhelmus Brackel wrote, original sin consists of imputed guilt and inherent pollution. Dr.

Sproul writes, original sin refers to our moral condition from which our actual behavior flows. It is the cause of all actual and habitual sin which are the personal transgressions of the law of God. Habitual sins arise from repeated actions or behaviors that lead one astray from righteous living that represent a continuous turning away from God. What does this look like? Small lies that don't seem to matter.

Gossiping in general and even within families. Neglecting prayer. Excessive criticism or being overly judgmental. Bitterness, impatience, greed, and there are many, many more. These can become a habit, and as a consequence, we may not even see them for what they really are, actual sin.

Back to our paragraph. What is meant by this original corruption? This is the state we find ourselves in. Remember last week since Adam was the representative man when he transgressed God's command when he violated the covenant of works, the guilt of that first sin was imputed to us and a corrupted nature conveyed to us. From this we are utterly indisposed, disabled and made opposite to all good and wholly inclined to all evil.

In other words, we are utterly indisposed or unwilling to be or do anything good. There is no natural favorable disposition towards God that's in us. We are disabled or rendered incapable of being good or doing anything good. We're made opposite to all good. Paul explains there is none righteous.

No, not one. There is none that understands. There's none that seeks God. They are all gone out of the way. They are together, become unprofitable.

There is none that do good, no, not one." Romans 3, 10 through 12. And Jesus himself in the Gospel of Mark states, No one is good except God alone, Mark 10, 18. And finally, we confess that we are wholly inclined to all evil, inclined to all evil completely. What do we mean here by inclined? Inclination points to a condition of the heart, the heart out of which behavior flows.

In the freedom of the will, Jonathan Edwards argues that we will always choose according to our strongest inclination at the moment. Basically, we do what we want to do. This is what all of us do. So why do we sin? The hard truth is we sin because we want to sin.

As Dr. Sproul puts it, at the moment of sinning, we want to sin more than we want to please God and obey him. Otherwise we would not do it. This part takes us to the doctrine of the total of total depravity. This is the T in tulip.

This doesn't mean that we are as wicked as we possibly could be, nor does it mean we have no sense of right and wrong, nor does it mean that we cannot do good things from man's perspective, nor does it mean that we cannot conform outwardly to the law of God. What it does mean is that every part of us, mind, will, emotions, and body have been affected by sin, have been corrupted. It means that we cannot do anything that is not somehow tainted by sin or truly done for the glory of God. The effect of sin on us is total. It is complete.

Others might call this total inability. Because of Adam's fall, we are born with a corrupted nature and are morally unable, not just unwilling, but unable to choose God, to have any inclination to please God apart from God's grace. Paul tells us the natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God. They are folly to him and he is not able to understand them. 1st Corinthians 2 14 because the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God, Romans 8, 7, and 8, for I know that in the, in me, that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. Romans 7 18. And this brings us to the second point of our paragraph today. From this original corruption do proceed all actual transgressions. For the unregenerate, they are lacking righteousness.

They are lacking any spiritual influences of the Holy Spirit. From this corrupted state all sins come forth. Jesus tells us, but those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. Matthew 15, 18 and 19.

He further explains this using an analogy of a tree. Every good tree brings forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Matthew 7, 17 and 18. Edward Reynolds, another Puritan, states, whatever the unregenerate do is altogether sinful.

Their thoughts, deeds, imaginations, and whatever else proceeds from their minds are all carnal. But what about believers who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, who have the Holy Spirit in dwelling in them, and who are trying to live their lives and conformity to the law of God? Paul himself tells us, I find in a law that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good, for I delight in the law of God according to the inward man, but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members. Romans 7, 21 through 23. Despite regeneration, despite union with Christ, despite justification, adoption, and sanctification, Paul still struggles with indwelling sin.

Burgess states, the evil or sin that is present with Paul is not actual or habitual but original sin. Saints in this world are never entirely free from original sin. It will plague them to the day that they die. And John Owen comments that this law of sin is powerful even in the best of saints. And though it is, though its rule be broken and its strength weakened and impaired, its root mortified, yet it is a law still of great force and efficacy.

He speaks of sin in the heart as an enemy whose secret strength we cannot discover. Scripture even speaks of the heart as being deceitful above all things in Jeremiah 17, 9. As Paul struggled with this law of sin, so will every believer until he is taken to glory. It is through the redeeming work of Christ, though believers are freed from the reign of sin. This doesn't mean that we are freed from sin, but it means we are freed from the bondage of sin.

John Flavel notes that while Christians are not entirely cured of sin in this life, nevertheless the cure is begun and daily advances towards perfection. Christians are on the way that leads to heavenly life where the presence of sin in any form will be extinguished forever. Well praise the Lord for what he has done. He is our hope. He is our only hope.

If you have not placed your faith in Jesus Christ, reflect on what true hope means. Not only the hope for this life, but also for the promise of eternal life with Christ. It is only through Christ you can be saved. It is only through Christ that your sins can be forgiven. It is only through Christ that you can have true peace, the peace that passes all understanding.

Our worship time here is a special time for me. I hope it's a time of the week you look forward to. It is a time set apart each week, specifically for God's people to come together to worship Him, to worship King of the universe, the creator of all things. It is a time to commune with God and to commune with each other. As we reflect on the doctrine of original sin and total depravity that we've discussed today, I pray that our praises to God and our worship of Him would be more heartfelt and reverent.

I pray that He would help us put aside our pride and grow in us a more humble heart, that we would all be more humble towards God and in our interactions with others. And I pray that as we reflect on all that Christ has done for each and every one of us, that we would be more thankful to Him and in all aspects of our lives. Amen.