Introduction
For a long time, people have argued about whether humans are naturally good or bad. Today, many believe we are naturally good and make mostly good choices. This idea is popular not just in the world but also in the church. However, the Bible is our final authority. So, what does the Bible say about human nature?

Today, Paul will teach us a tough lesson. He will discuss how our nature is evil. No one is born good or lives completely good. This is the old self. If this sounds depressing, hang in there. Tomorrow, we’ll see how verse 4 changes everything.

Today’s Scripture
Ephesians 2:1-3 (New Living Translation)

"Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature, we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else."

Explanation and Reflection
As Paul writes to the church in Ephesus and to us, he says there is nothing good in us. Yes, we are made in God's image, but sin deforms that image. We have many problems.

1. You Were Dead.
Paul doesn’t soften the message. He says we were dead in our sins. The Bible talks about two kinds of death. The first is physical death, which we all know about. The second is spiritual death, which is God's judgment on us for sinning. The Bible teaches that those who overcome spiritual death will be resurrected physically like Jesus. When we die, we don’t just become disembodied souls that float around on clouds for eternity. No. The Bible teaches that one day our physical bodies will rise again.

2. You Were Disobedient.
There are God’s ways and our ways. We choose our ways over God’s and sin against Him. Even when we do good, our motives can be wrong. John Calvin once said, "Even our tears of repentance need to be washed in the blood of the Lamb." This means we can’t even confess or repent correctly on our own. As it says in Isaiah 64:6: “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.”

3. You Followed the Devil.
This might sting, but we have to take Paul seriously and respect the Bible’s authority. Before Christ, Paul says we were Satanic. This doesn’t mean we wore black robes and drank blood. It means we followed evil and, therefore, followed Satan. We were enemies of God (Romans 5:10). We weren't just a little bad; we were fully evil, following the prince of evil, even if we didn’t realize it.

4. You Followed Your Own Desires.
Our spiritual death, disobedience, and following Satan all come from one problem: we loved other things more than God. We even turn good things (family, career, hobbies, comfort, possessions, etc.) into ultimate things. Sin isn’t just doing bad things like cheating on your spouse or stealing from work. It’s taking good, legitimate needs but valuing them above God. It’s disordered desires and loves.

All these ideas together form a concept called "total depravity." Paul writes a lot about this in the New Testament. See Romans 3:10-12, Romans 3:23, Romans 7:18, and Titus 3:3. Total depravity highlights our human limitations and the depth of our sin. Tomorrow, we will see how it also shows the need for God’s grace through Jesus for our salvation and how this produces the new self.

Question of the Day
Here's a question for you to think about and apply:
What good things do you overvalue and end up putting above God? Share these with God in prayer and ask for forgiveness through Christ.