The appropriate way to begin the study of any subject in the Bible is to find the earliest mention or teaching of that subject. More often than not, this principle leads one to begin in the first book of the Bible - Genesis. This holds true in the study of the nature of man. There are 2 predominant views on man's nature - Man is born with a sinful nature and man is born just, upright. Within these pages, God's perfect word will be studied and magnified in order that the reader may discern with the Holy Spirit's guidance the proper teachings of His word. To understand the nature of man is of great importance, because as will be seen, this subject is intertwined with many other facets of the Christian life.
What the Bible teaches about sin, salvation, God Himself, and man himself will all be affected if man's nature is misunderstood. That is why I desire to set out upon this humbling task to search the Scriptures rather than rely upon the teachings of men or tenants of the faith. "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" (Colossians 2:8). Over the past few months I have been overwhelmed at how a simple desire to study man's nature has led me to feel at times like I am gasping for air as the Lord has flooded me with His Truth.
It is understandable why there exists much confusion today on this subject, and it is no wonder as Satan hath blinded the hearts of men. Rather than studying and meditating upon God's word, one feels that their duty has been fulfilled by a mere reading of His word. He picks up the Bible, reads a few chapters, and goes about his day. There is little to no connection between the two and little to no effect upon the heart. The reader experiences nothing of its searching and cleansing effects. Others will read a verse or verses apart from the context of where they are located, which leads to the creation of "doctrines" which were never intended by our Lord. This is usually motivated by a society who wants everything "on demand" rather than taking the time to let the Holy Spirit guide in His time. Pastors or leaders will often establish themselves as the one endowed with all knowledge pertaining to life, godliness, and His word; and expect their "sheep" to revert to him for these matters rather than searching the Scriptures themselves. I am a novice when it comes to historical facts, but I remember there being a time when the Bible was chained to the church's pulpit. Our times are much different, and the Bible is available in almost every corner (I have 3 Bible apps on my cell phone!). The Bible is no longer chained, however, there remains an attitude that its understanding is still chained to the man behind some pulpit.
"The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times." (Psalm 12:6). There are no contradictions. When a reader does a brief survey of the Bible, there may appear to be some contradictions. However, after more digging and searching, the contradictions often turn into the hidden treasures of secret places. It is the Lord's desire to see which of His people are willing to search for these hidden treasures so that that man can be rewarded with an understanding of the deep things of Scripture.
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