“Being filled with all unrighteousness…”  (Romans 1)

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these…”  (Galatians 5)

“For men shall be…”  (2 Timothy 3)

 

Our Apostle, in his magnum opus, begins with the fact that the entire world was infected with the spiritual disease of sin and this has, in fact, terminated the life of the spirit within man. Lest God, in His grace, quickens, regenerates, makes alive again, resurrects the spirit that lies dead, there is no hope of man ever relating to God in the spiritual. God is Spirit and He communicates and communes with other spirits.  God does not commune with spirits that are dead due to trespasses and sins.

God, through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, the Lord Jesus, has made it possible for the withered and deceased spirit to be resurrected. This spiritual resurrection is only possible through the Works of the Godhead;  The Father elects those that will be given to the Son and the Son will live a sinless life on the elect’s behalf. The Son secures that election of grace through the salvation that is empowered by His Sacrifice and Resurrection.
Christ called this spiritual resurrection, being born again or born anew, or born from above. Being born again speaks to a newness of life, a newness of direction. The person who has been born again from above will find they hold new principles and with these new principles they seek to follow new practices.  These practices the born again seeks to follow can be described as godly, righteous, holy, good, clean, and pure.

But what about the spirits that remain dead in their trespasses and their sins?  Paul, our Apostle, in his letters to the Romans, to the Galatians, and in a personal letter to Timothy lists the traits of those remaining in Adam, IE. The dead in spirit.  We will, (DV), share Paul’s list of traits in bullet point form but first (1st) let us address the words of Paul from above, “Being filled with all unrighteousness…”   Being filled with all manner of unrighteousness equates to an ability; the inclination to perpetrate any and all sins. When a person says, “X is not capable of that.” The person is wrong, wrong, and wrong. When a person says, “X would never do that,” This person is wrong, wrong, wrong, as well.  [A] Being [that is] filled with all unrighteousness will present themselves through…

 

*Fornication: Physical, Mental, & Emotional
*Wickedness:  Evil
*Covetousness:  Not content with what God provides and wants what others have.
*Maliciousness:  Evil; Badness
*Full of envy:  Controlled by envy
*Murder:  Dispatching a person to their destiny and doing so with criminal intentions
*Debate:  Strife; Contentious
*Deceit: Baiting someone, Guile, or Manipulative
*Malignity:  Evil Disposition
*Whisperers:  Detractors
*Backbiters:  One who speaks against
*(h)aters of God: Those who are spiritually dead in their trespasses and their sins.
*Despiteful:  Ill will and Mean
*Proud: The sin of (s)atan
*Boasters: Taking on great airs
*Inventors of evil things:  One who finds out more…more ways 2 sin & 2 offend God and the godly.
*Disobedient to parents:  Not persuaded
*Without understanding:  1 Corinthians 2:14-16
*Covenantbreakers:  Breaks Trust
*Without natural affection:  Parents not loving their children, children not loving their parents, homosexuality.
*Implacable:  irreconsilable.
*Unmerciful:  Without kindness
*Adultery:  Physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
*Uncleanness:  Impure.
*Lasciviousness:  Excess, licensiousness or giving self the license to sin excessively
*Idolatry:  Worshipping anything or ANYONE other than God. Celebrities can be idolized.
*Witchcraft:  A charm or remedy
*Hatred:  An Opposition w/ or w/out emotion or affection. Full disclosure- this is my definition.
*Variance:  Contentious, strife, quarrel.
*Emulations:  Zeal, Zealous to do wrong.
*Wrath:  Wrathful in mind.
*Strife:  Contentious.
*Seditions:  A standing apart. Rebellious.
*Heresies:  Unsound teachings,
*Drunkenness:  Alcoholism.
*Revellings:  Self indulgence, pampered, or spoiled.
*Lovers of self:  Self-centered, Self-concerned, Self loving and at the expense of others.
*Blasphemers:  Speaking ill of God; Doing that which is bad, evil, or wicked and directing it towards God.
*Unthankful:  Not acknowledging God and all that He does and all that He provides.  This is a gateway to greater sin.
*Unholy:  Ungodly, Not Christ-like, impure, not set aside for God’s use, not sanctified.
*Trucebreakers:  Breaker of trust
*False accusers:  Liars who harm others with their lies.
*Incontinent:  Without Strength…without spiritual strength.
*Fierce:  Savage
*Despisers of those that are good:  Looks down upon those that do good. They see no benefit in good works.
*Traitors:  Breakers of trust, No loyalty.
*Heady:  Falls forward…This person has such a big head (pride) that he falls forward.
*Highminded:  Prideful, looking for ways to “[move] on up.” Not grounded, not sober-minded.
*Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God: Idolatry.

Reader,
The old nature, the old man, the carnal nature, the flesh is still with us.  Our inclinations, our weaknesses, our vices will remain, lest we mortify them through the Spirit, or until we die or He comes back. I hate to be the one to tell you,  but if you overcome a sin(s), a new one will introduce itself. With the above being true, we must ever be seeking God’s forgiveness and grace.  We must ever be reminded of our Lord and Saviour and what He did and does for us. We might also praise God, Who uses sin, that was introduced by (s)atan, to aid us in staying humble and keeping us from becoming highminded or proud.

Godspeed.