The Natural Man

Romans 3:10

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” 

“What is man by nature? The Holy Spirit has given this description of him: that he is "dead in trespasses and sins;" that he is "alienated from the life of God by the ignorance that is in him, because of the blindness of his heart;" (Eph. 4:18) that he is "an enemy to God by wicked works," that he is utterly unable to bring his soul near to God, and to do anything acceptable in His sight. Now, if this be the case, that man is dead in trespasses and sins, far from God by wicked works, alienated from the life of God by the ignorance that is in him because of the blindness of his heart, if the carnal mind is nothing but implacable enmity to God and godliness, how can he come near to God? He may come in a 'form' or in the mere exercise of his natural faculties – but a holy and just God cannot accept such a coming as this.” ~J.C. Philpot

“The question here is not concerning this or that man, a Nero or a Heliogabalus, but concerning human nature, the whole race of mankind, the few excepted who are born of God. There is indeed a difference among men, but it is owing to the restraints of Divine Providence, without which earth would be the very image of hell. A wolf or a lion, while chained, cannot do so much mischief as if they were loose, but the nature is the same in the whole species. Education and personal interest, fear and shame, human laws, and the secret power of God over the mind, combine to form many characters that are extremely decent and respectable; and even the most abandoned are under a restraint which prevents them from manifesting a thousandth part of the wickedness which is in their hearts. But the heart itself is universally deceitful, and desperately wicked.” ~John Newton

 “Nowhere but in the Scriptures, can we learn what is the real condition of the natural man. There his case is diagnosed with unerring precision by the divine Physician. Many are the terms used therein by the Holy Spirit to describe the solemn and direful state to which the fall has reduced every descendant of Adam; and among them probably none is more pointed and awesome than is the term LOST! How dismal is its sound! How much is summed up in that single word! It signifies . . .
  that the natural man is in a sinful, wretched, and perilous state, 
  that he is far astray from God,
  that he has willfully and wantonly forsaken the path of duty. 

Lost irretrievably, like a sheep that wanders farther and farther astray, until it perishes. Man is utterly unable to find his way back to God, for he is in total darkness --- a wanderer in a pathless desert, perishing in a howling wilderness. What makes man’s case yet worse, is that he has no desire to be recovered! He has perversely set himself up to be his own master, and stubbornly determines to please himself and carve out his own career.” A.W. Pink

“O, what a vile heart is this! O, what a corrupt nature is this! What can that heart be, whereof every imagination, every set of thoughts—is only evil, and that continually? Surely that corruption is ingrained in our hearts, interwoven with our very natures, has sunk deep into our souls, and will never be cured but by a miracle of grace. Now such is man's heart, such is his nature—until regenerating grace changes it.” ~Thomas Boston

“Ascertain what kind of a Heaven a man desires --- and you will know what a man is. A sensualist will desire a sensual heaven. Health, wealth, and freedom to enjoy himself --- will satisfy a natural man.” ~James Smith

 “The natural man is . . .
  totally depraved,
  a slave of Satan,
  dead in sin,
and, therefore, it is no marvel that he needs to be born again. “ ~A.W. Pink

“Nay, truly, the life of every natural man is but one continued dream and delusion, out of which he never awakes, until either, by a divine light darted from heaven into his soul, he comes to himself—or, in hell he lifts up his eyes in torment!” ~Thomas Boston 

“Man is totally depraved. He is wholly fallen. The whole head is sick, the whole heart is faint. The leprosy cleaves to him, has spread over him, and dried up all the moral and vital moisture of the soul. The man is therefore lost, wholly lost, eternally lost—unless God interposes for his rescue!” ~James Smith

“The whole nature of man is affected by sin. The understanding is darkened; the will is corrupt; the conscience is defiled; the memory is polluted; the imagination is depraved; the throat is an open sepulcher; the tongue is deceitful; the poison of asps is under the lips; the mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; the feet are swift to shed blood; the eyes are full of adultery; the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Men yield their members servants to uncleanness. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart is faint. ‘From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.’ Isaiah 1:6.” ~William S. Plumer

Isaiah 1:6

“From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.” 

http://www.gracegems.org/