Lord’s Day 3
Q8. But are we so corrupt that we are totally unable to do any good and inclined to all evil?
Yes, unless we are born again by the Spirit of God.
Scripture Proofs — King James Version
Genesis 6:5
“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 8:21
“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.”
Job 14:4
“Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.”
Isaiah 53:6
“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.”
John 3:3–5
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
Modernized Commentary — Zacharias Ursinus (1616)
Question
8. Are we then so corrupt that we are wholly incapable of doing any good, and inclined to all wickedness? Answer: Indeed we are, except we are regenerated by the Spirit of God.
The question of free will, specifically the capacity of the human will to obey God and do what is good, is closely tied to the subject of human misery and naturally comes next in our discussion. It is also essential to understand what ability humanity possessed before the fall and what remains afterward, so that, with a clear grasp of what the first sin actually did to us, we might be moved toward greater humility, a genuine desire for God's grace and guidance, and a deeper gratitude toward Him. This doctrine of free will, properly understood, does not direct our attention to human ability and greatness, but to human weakness and misery.