Depraved human nature naturally rebels against God's Free Salvation strictly through GOD'S BLOOD alone and unearned grace.
The Cross Offends Human Pride
The carnal mind wants a hand in its own rescue. Self-righteousness demands a salvation based on human effort, moral reformation, church attendance, or personal merit, so that it has something whereof to boast. When you tell a lost man that his very best works are as "filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6), and that his only hope is total reliance on the Shed Blood of the Incarnate Creator, this completely destroys his human pride and intellect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18).
The Natural Carnal Mind is at War with God
Unregenerate human nature does not merely neglect the Gospel; it actively resists it. Paul declared that the natural man cannot receive or understand the things of God, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14). Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be (Romans 8:7). Because the natural heart is at enmity with God, it naturally rejects the divine terms of reconciliation: Free Justification by Faith in the Blood of Christ (Romans 3:24–25).
Self-righteous Religious Formalism Seeks Alternative Paths
From Cain’s fruit offering in Genesis 4 to modern religious self-improvement systems, human nature prefers "religion from beneath"—that is, outward morality, rituals, and human efforts—over "EMMANUEL'S PRECIOUS BLOOD." Self-righteous man insists on bringing his own wage to the table rather than receiving Salvation as a Free, unearned Gift paid for entirely by the Atoning Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, The Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.
Religion flatters a man's pride; he thinks he can beat the devil out of himself. The more exacting a religion may be, the better human nature likes it. As long as the religion doesn't touch the heart and the sins he loves, human nature adores that religion. Human nature will turn to anything but the simple Gospel of Christ and the living God, Christ Jesus. Human nature loves public outward religiousness, because he doesn't have to give up his favorite private internal sins. The sinner can continue to drink, smoke, cuss, and do as he likes behind closed doors. He thinks, "Who cares? I can keep on messing around with religion; I only have to call for a priest, and get oiled up at the very end, and off to purgatory I will go; I can keep on having pleasure in my beloved sins."
Human nature doesn't mind what you tell it to do, as long as you don't tell it to repent and simply receive Christ by faith. If you tell the sinner to place simple direct faith in God's Blood, his self-righteous pride gets all riled up at once. But sin and the sinner must part, or else he must be damned.
The Divine Verdict
Left to itself, human nature will always choose self-salvation over Calvary's SINLESS LAMB. Salvation requires the supernatural, quickening power of the Holy Spirit to break human pride, expose the spiritual bankruptcy of the sinner, and grant the soul simple direct faith in GOD'S PRECIOUS BLOOD shed on THE CROSS.
Only an inward eternal work by the Holy Spirit can satisfy God the Father. Nothing less than a new creature will do. God is holy and just; He must and will punish every sin ever committed against Him, no matter who committed it. Your sins deserve eternal punishment and wrath, but Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Now once in the end of the world hath JESUS appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. JESUS was punished in your place.
Be Wise Now
Abjure your self-righteousness, come directly to Christ Jesus Himself, and take Him to be your personal Ransom and Redeemer from sin's condemnation and captivity. Give up all confidence in yourself; rely upon the power of the Holy Spirit to regenerate you inwardly.
Seek true living Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and heart union with the Lamb of God. Confess and forsake your sins to be given a new heart, a contrite right spirit, and a divine nature as a new creature where all things are become NEW. Unless you are given a new heart by God and made a new creature within, "Depart from ME, I never knew you" must be your eternal verdict.
What will you do with JESUS which is called Christ? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ with all thine heart, and your soul shall be saved from sin's curse and eternal condemnation.
