The term "reprobate" is used in the Bible to describe individuals who have been rejected by God due to their persistent sinfulness and moral corruption. This condition is not merely a result of occasional wrongdoing but is indicative of a hardened heart and a willful rejection of divine truth and righteousness.

Biblical References:

1. Romans 1:28 : "Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done." This passage highlights the consequence of willful ignorance and rejection of God. The reprobate mind is one that is morally corrupt and incapable of discerning or choosing good over evil.

2. 2 Timothy 3:8 : "Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith." Here, the reprobate are likened to those who resist divine authority and truth, demonstrating a deep-seated opposition to God's will.

3. Titus 1:16 : "They profess to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed." This verse underscores the hypocrisy of the reprobate, who may outwardly claim to follow God but whose actions reveal their true nature.

Characteristics of the Reprobate:

· Moral Corruption: The reprobate are characterized by a depraved mind, as seen in Romans 1:28. Their thoughts and actions are consistently aligned with evil, and they lack the moral compass to choose righteousness.

· Resistance to Truth: As noted in 2 Timothy 3:8, the reprobate actively oppose the truth. This resistance is not passive but is marked by a deliberate and conscious rejection of God's word and authority.

· Hypocrisy: Titus 1:16 highlights the duplicity of the reprobate. They may profess faith and knowledge of God, yet their lives are a testament to their disobedience and rejection of His commandments.

· Divine Rejection: The state of being reprobate is often depicted as a result of divine judgment. God "gives them up" to their depraved desires, as seen in Romans 1:28, indicating a withdrawal of His restraining grace.

Theological Implications:

The concept of reprobation is deeply intertwined with the doctrines of sin, free will, and divine sovereignty. It serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of persistent sin and the importance of repentance and submission to God's will. The reprobate, having rejected God's truth, are left to their own devices, resulting in a life marked by moral decay and spiritual blindness.

Practical Considerations:

For believers, the biblical portrayal of the reprobate serves as a warning against complacency and the dangers of hardening one's heart against God. It emphasizes the need for vigilance in maintaining a life of faith and obedience, continually seeking God's guidance and grace to avoid the path of the wicked.2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know you not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except you be reprobates?
Nave's Topical Index

2 Timothy 3:8
Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
Nave's Topical Index

Titus 1:16
They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and to every good work reprobate.
Nave's Topical Index

Reprobation.
... not know that you are a reprobate, and therefore ... foreknows that you will be wicked
simply because ... Neither his foreknowledge respecting your character, nor his ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/finney/systematic theology/lecture xliv reprobation.htm

A Reasonable Service
... affections, but in the twenty-eighth verse that he gave them over to a reprobate
mind. ... He is a God of mercy." This is his character. ... Let the wicked forsake his ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chapman/and judas iscariot/a reasonable service.htm

Election Confirmed by the Calling of God. The Reprobate Bring Upon ...
... valued by few, describes God under the character of a King ... Job 9:3), confess that
the reprobate suffer nothing ... God seems to deny that the wicked perish through ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 24 election confirmed by.htm

The Eternal Punishment of the Wicked Reconciled with the Goodness ...
... the never-ending torments of the wicked in another ... by other temptations, their
dispositions and character would have ... and this is never given to the reprobate. ...
/.../chapter iv the eternal punishment.htm

Ninth Proposition of Arminius
... is one mass of sinful and wicked being, among ... chapter also, the elect and the reprobate
are said ... in their subject." Therefore, whatever character the subject ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 3/ninth proposition of arminius.htm

Antipathies
... cleanse us from the guilt of those wicked thoughts, and ... in a Christian man, unless
he be a reprobate. ... Differences in talents, in powers, in character, in kinds ...
/.../kingsley/town and country sermons/sermon xv antipathies.htm

John Chapter xi. 55-57; xii
... of a good character: for a good character is as ... he was already a thief, and a reprobate,
when following ... this, that we should bear with the wicked, and refrain ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate l john chapter xi.htm

A Miracle of Grace
... no," he replied; "the father died, and his reprobate son came into the ... more and more;
he saw how foolish he had been, how wicked his character, how cruel ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 62 1916/a miracle of grace.htm

The Approbation of Goodness is not the Love of It.
... God gave them over to a reprobate mind;" and ... Why is it, that when the character of
Christ ... is, as the prophet affirms, desperately wicked, desperately selfish. ...
/.../shedd/sermons to the natural man/the approbation of goodness is.htm

A Divided Heart
... above all things," and so "desperately wicked," that it ... I might depict a character
which you have met with ... "Reprobate silver shall men call them." His name may ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/a divided heart.htm

What is virtue ethics? | GotQuestions.org

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Character: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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