Lie #2: People are inherently good.
The testimony of newspapers around the world verify that men, women and children are corrupt, very corrupt. And they verify that debauchery knows no boundaries in religious credence, familial or social culture, national boundary or ancestry. Prisons verify this, programs for wayward youths validate this, and the riots and looting in USA, Egypt, Lybia, Greece, England, and other places following some natural catastrophe or political event prove this beyond doubt. Neither are children taught mischief and disobedience, it freely comes out of them, it is inherent in them and every parent knows this. If people are inherently good, why is evil so common and so expected that some ask "What do you expect of teenagers?
- Man alone is the cause of all sorrow, suffering, pain and death in this world.
- Man has followed his own devices.
- God alone can help man out of his sins.
• And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Genesis 2:15-17
• And unto Adam he [God] said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. Genesis 3:17-19
• For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:21-22
• And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Genesis 6:5
• And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. Genesis 6:12
• The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. Psalm 14:1 & 53:1
• All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6
• The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9
• For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23
• Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: Romans 5:12
• If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1 John 1:10
• And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. Genesis 8:21
• Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes. Deuteronomy 12:8
• For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth. Psalm 10:3
• The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. Psalm 36:1
• Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually. Psalm 74:23
• Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. Proverbs 6:14
• Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts. Proverbs 21:2
• They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. Proverbs 1:30-32
• And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart. Jeremiah 18:12
• I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Luke 5:32
• The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. Mark 1:15
• Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Acts 4:12
• For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16
• For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:10
• But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. Galatians 3:22
• For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 1 Timothy 2:56
• For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. 1 Timothy 4:10
• But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Titus 3:4-5
• 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. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:7, 9