Human Depravity Yesterday and Today

Its Constant Denial and Coverup

By: Don Pirozok

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

The Bible presents a unified testimony about human depravity from the Fall in Genesis to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Scripture does not flatter human nature. It does not portray man as morally neutral, nor as steadily progressing upward through enlightenment and civilization. Instead, it reveals a tragic but realistic portrait: humanity, created good, fell into sin, and ever since that fall the corruption of the human heart has expressed itself in countless forms—sometimes crude and violent, sometimes polished and sophisticated, sometimes openly wicked, and sometimes clothed in moral or religious appearance.
The foundation of this doctrine begins in Genesis 3. When Adam transgressed God’s command, sin entered the human race. Paul later explains in Romans 5:12, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” The Fall was not merely a mistake in judgment; it was a rebellion of the will. Man chose autonomy over obedience. From that moment, human nature became bent away from God. The image of God was not erased, but it was marred. The result was alienation, spiritual death, and moral corruption.
The early chapters of Genesis demonstrate how quickly depravity manifested itself. Cain murdered Abel in Genesis 4. By Genesis 6:5, the condition of humanity had deteriorated so severely that “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.” Notice the comprehensive language: every imagination, only evil, continually. This is not describing a few isolated sinners but the pervasive corruption of the human heart. The Flood was not an overreaction; it was a righteous judgment upon a humanity that had become saturated in violence and corruption.
Yet even after the Flood, depravity remained. Noah, a righteous man, fell into drunkenness (Genesis 9). Babel soon followed (Genesis 11), where humanity united in pride to make a name for itself apart from God. This pattern continues throughout the Old Testament. Israel, despite receiving the law, prophets, temple worship, and covenant promises, repeatedly turned to idolatry. Jeremiah 17:9 diagnoses the root problem: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” The problem is not merely external systems or lack of education; it is internal corruption.
The apostle Paul gives the most systematic explanation of human depravity in Romans 1. There he describes the downward spiral of humanity after rejecting the knowledge of God. Romans 1:21 states, “When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful.” The first step in societal decay is theological: a refusal to honor God. This leads to intellectual darkness—“their foolish heart was darkened”—and moral exchange: “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:22). Humanity exchanges the glory of the incorruptible God for images. Idolatry is not primitive ignorance; it is a willful exchange.
Paul then uses a solemn phrase three times: “God gave them up” (Romans 1:24, 26, 28). This does not mean God creates evil in them; it means He hands them over to the consequences of their chosen rebellion. The result is sexual impurity, dishonorable passions, reprobate minds, and a catalogue of sins that includes envy, murder, deceit, malignity, pride, and covenant-breaking (Romans 1:29–31). What is striking is that these sins appear not only in ancient pagan cultures but in every era—including modern, technologically advanced societies. Sophistication does not cure depravity; it often refines its expression.
Paul concludes this section with a chilling observation in Romans 1:32: people “not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” Depravity reaches a deeper level when sin is celebrated and applauded. This is not merely private weakness but cultural endorsement of evil.