the nature of man

¹⁸For I know that what is good does not live within me, that is, within my flesh. For the willingness to do good lies close to me, but the carrying out of that good, I cannot reach.

¹⁰just as it was written: “There is no one who is just. ¹¹There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks God. ¹²All have gone astray; together they have become useless. There is no one who does good; there is not even one. ¹³Their throat is an open sepulcher. With their tongues, they have been acting deceitfully. The venom of asps is under their lips. ¹⁴Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. ¹⁵Their feet are swift to shed blood.

⁵Therefore, mortify your body, while it is upon the earth. For because of fornication, impurity, lust, evil desires, and avarice, which are a kind of service to idols,

¹⁹Now the works of the flesh are manifest; they are: fornication, lust, homosexuality, self-indulgence, ²⁰the serving of idols, drug use, hostility, contentiousness, jealousy, wrath, quarrels, dissensions, divisions, ²¹envy, murder, inebriation, carousing, and similar things. About these things, I continue to preach to you, as I have preached to you: that those who act in this way shall not obtain the kingdom of God.

⁹The heart is depraved above all things, and it is unsearchable, who can know it?

⁵Then God, seeing that the wickedness of men was great upon the earth and that every thought of their heart was intent upon evil at all times,

⁶For we know this: that our former selves have been crucified together with him, so that the body which is of sin may be destroyed, and moreover, so that we may no longer serve sin.

¹⁶So then, I say: Walk in the spirit, and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh.

¹Where do wars and contentions among you come from? Is it not from this: from your own desires, which battle within your members?

²⁴Unhappy man that I am, who will free me from this body of death?

¹⁹Now the works of the flesh are manifest; they are: fornication, lust, homosexuality, self-indulgence,

²⁷And God created man to his own image; to the image of God he created him; male and female, he created them.

¹⁴But the animal nature of man does not perceive these things that are of the Spirit of God. For it is foolishness to him, and he is not able to understand it, because it must be examined spiritually.

¹⁶For this reason, we are not insufficient. But it is as though our outer man is corrupted, while our inner man is renewed from day to day.

²⁴God is Spirit. And so, those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

¹I am speaking the truth in Christ; I am not lying. My conscience offers testimony to me in the Holy Spirit,