Topical Bible: Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Desperately Wicked

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The concept of the unrenewed heart being "desperately wicked" is rooted in the biblical understanding of human nature apart from divine intervention. This notion is primarily derived from the prophet Jeremiah, who articulates the inherent deceitfulness and corruption of the human heart. In Jeremiah 17:9 , it is written, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure—who can understand it?" This verse underscores the profound moral and spiritual depravity that characterizes the unregenerate heart.

The unrenewed heart is marked by an innate tendency towards sin and rebellion against God. This condition is not merely a result of external influences but is intrinsic to human nature itself. The Apostle Paul echoes this sentiment in his epistle to the Romans, where he describes the universal sinfulness of humanity: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God" (Romans 3:10-11). This passage highlights the comprehensive scope of human depravity, indicating that apart from God's grace, individuals are incapable of seeking or pleasing Him.

The wickedness of the unrenewed heart is further illustrated by its inclination towards idolatry and self-centeredness. In Romans 1:21-23 , Paul explains how humanity, despite knowing God, failed to honor Him and instead turned to idolatry: "For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles." This passage reveals the heart's propensity to replace the worship of the Creator with the worship of created things, demonstrating its fundamental corruption.

The unrenewed heart is also characterized by a resistance to God's truth and a preference for falsehood. In 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 , Paul warns of those who "perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason, God will send them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie, in order that judgment may come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness." This resistance to truth is a hallmark of the unregenerate heart, which is predisposed to embrace deception and reject divine revelation.

Moreover, the unrenewed heart is often associated with a lack of genuine love and compassion. In 2 Timothy 3:2-4 , Paul describes the characteristics of people in the last days: "People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God." This litany of vices reflects the self-centered and morally bankrupt nature of the heart that has not been transformed by the Holy Spirit.

The biblical portrayal of the unrenewed heart as "desperately wicked" serves as a sobering reminder of the need for spiritual regeneration. It underscores the necessity of divine intervention through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ and the renewing power of the Holy Spirit to transform the heart and restore it to a state of righteousness and holiness.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Characters Will be Disclosed, and Justice Awarded.
... We can neither see the heart, nor know the thoughts ... had allowedly disregarded
it"that his character was as ... Some suppose that the unrenewed can do nothing but ...
/.../lee/sermons on various important subjects/sermon xvi characters will be.htm

Walking with God
... on Enoch's short but comprehensive character: the thing ... as any part of him remains
unrenewed, is enmity ... enmity of man's desperately wicked and deceitful heart. ...
/.../whitefield/selected sermons of george whitefield/walking with god.htm

Washed to Greater Foulness
... of men: they think they are saved when they are still unrenewed. ... Lord permits him
to see his own heart and he ... brother men; if, in a word, his character had not ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 32 1886/washed to greater foulness.htm

The Warrant of Faith
... evangelical repentance never can exist in an unrenewed soul. ... some humblings and some
meltings of heart." What did ... me, for I was not the character intended; and ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 9 1863/the warrant of faith.htm

Exposition of the Doctrines of Grace
... in the existence of God"in his righteous character and perfect ... the flesh," means
this"when we were in an unrenewed depraved state. ... The heart," says Jeremiah ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 7 1861/exposition of the doctrines of.htm