The Bible Answers
Isn't Man too Sinful to Seek After God?
As this question would be commonly understood, the answer is Yes.
Note the following Scripture:
Romans 3:11, 12: "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."
- The scripture is plain. Man's so-called "search for God" is a myth, the invention of men who want to pretend to be honest. The true God is not far from any of us; we are only alienated by our own blinding sins. Man is without the capablity of doing anything pleasing to God, because he is under the control of the devil who teaches him to hate both God and his neighbor.
- Men are not free nor are they spiritually neutral. They cannot of themselves recover from the snare of the devil. They are taken captive by the devil at the devil's will, so where is their "free" will. They are self-deceived and desperately wicked. Repentance is the gift of God, and they will never acknowledge the truth except by the power of the spirit of God.
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The spiritual core of man is totally corrupted and defiled by sin and self-will. This does not mean that every man is a bad as he could be. Because man is in the image of God he has a sense of morality and decency. He has a conscience. Most men want look good in their own eyes and in the eyes of others.
God uses these things to keep the world from becoming as bad as it could be. The restraining power of the Holy Spirit restrains sin so that the world may be a fit place for the display of God saving grace and mercy in His people. But man will never seek after the true God unless He is born again by the Spirit of God. Jesus told the proud ruler of the Jews, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." [John 3:4]. He cannot see nor enter the kingdom of God without the work of the Spirit of God to deliver him from his sin and misery.
- "No man can come..." It is beyond human strength to become a Christian. Man, who is in bondage to sin and the devil, cannot make the first move toward Christ, so Christ made the first move toward His people. "We love Him because He first loved us" [1John 4:19]. "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" [Romans 5:6]. 1Pe 3:18 "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit..." [1Peter 3:18].
- Why would a man seek after foolishness? Man certainly does seek foolishness, for he lives in drunkenness, riot, hatred and death. But he esteems something good in these things, even if it is only a temporary cessation of pain. It is only by the Holy Spirit that a man can begin to see and value the things of God.
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Man is not yet as wicked as he could be for sin is not yet finished. But this does not mean that there is any aspect of his being where man can find strength to deliver himself. He can rage against circumstance and against other people. He can shake his fist at the heavens, but how can he contend with God? How can he make himself clean?
Though sin is not finished, this does not mean that any man is able to overcome his sins and deliver himself from the power of the devil which works in him. Without the intervention of the grace of God, sin will run its course, ending in death and hell. "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren." --James 1;14-16