Quotes about Depravity

Evil has no substance of its own, but is only the defect, excess, perversion, or corruption of that which has substance.

Because one stage of depravity is lower than another, this does not warrant the denial that the first stage is degraded. The development of wickedness is one thing; the presence of any measure of holiness or virtue is another. The absence of certain forms of sins does not imply any innate purity. It might as well be affirmed that a recent corpse, which is less loathsome, is therefore less dead than one which is far gone in decay and putrefaction.

The total depravity of human nature does not mean that it actually breaks forth into open acts of all kinds of evil in any one man.

All by nature are essentially evil, nothing but "flesh"; everything in us is contrary to holiness.

Charnock said, there is "not a moment of a man's life wherein our hereditary corruption doth not belch its froth.

The depravity of mankind makes evident the infinite patience of God. "The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power" (Nahum 1:3).

All human 'virtue' is depraved if it is not from a heart of love to the heavenly Father- Even if the behaviour conforms to biblical norms.

Bad habits are more easily formed than good habits, and the bad habits are given up with more difficulty. The natural depravity of the heart accounts for this well-known fact—that it takes far less labor to demoralize the youth, to corrupt their ideas of moral and religious character, than to engraft upon their character the enduring, pure, and uncorrupted habits of righteousness and truth.

If man is a totally depraved being, can he possibly take the first step in the matter of his return to God?

The consequences of Adam and Eve's sin went far beyond their own banishment from the garden and the presence of God. God had appointed Adam as the federal head or legal representative of the entire human race. Consequently his fall brought guilt and depravity on all his descendants.

says he 'welcomes sinners and eats with them.'14 Now, think about that. In his culture, to dine with someone meant to offer friendship. The word welcome in Greek means that he took great pleasure in them. Jesus doesn't delight in sin, but he liked being around these people, maybe because they were well aware of their depravity, unlike many of the religious folks who masked it with hypocrisy.

The world is increasing in wickedness.