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For I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. (Psalm 51:5)

Webster says depraved means, “marked by corruption or evil, perverted, crooked.” It’s important that you understand this is an internal disease; you can’t detect it from the outside. Most folks don’t “look” depraved. Most of us do a masterful job of covering up. But never doubt that underneath, deep down inside, there is this disease that eats away at us and pollutes our thoughts and our words (intellect), our relationships (emotions), and our actions (will).

And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged. (John 16:8–11)

On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (John 7:37–38)

And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand. (Isaiah 64:8)

Several years ago my wife and I visited a local university campus during their art festival. We had the privilege of slipping behind the curtain and watching a potter at work. She was quite skilled in the art—a pleasure to watch. She was finishing the top part of a vase. As the wheel was spinning, her fingers and thumbs were smoothing, shaping, pulling, pushing. She never looked up at those who were watching her.

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (Philippians 1:6)

God is committed to the task of conforming you and me to the image of His Son. Not physically—He’s not making us look like Jesus looked physically—but inwardly: in character, in patience, in gentleness, in goodness, in grace, in truth, in discipline. He’s committed to conforming our lives to the inner character of His Son.

One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.”So they got into a boat and started out. As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. (Luke 8:22–23)

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5–8)

I want to mention an example in which Jesus demonstrated His humanity—then immediately on the heels of that displayed His deity. Maybe you’ve never made such a study.

But the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” (Luke 2:10–11)

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf. (Micah 5:2)

Beth-le-hem means “house of bread” in Hebrew. Insignificant as a tiny loaf of bread...yet the Lord, through the writing of a minor prophet eight centuries earlier, puts his finger on Bethlehem and announces that this place will be famous. Why, that’s like the President addressing Muleshoe, Texas, or Pea Ridge, Arkansas, saying, “From you there will come forth a great person.”

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. (Psalm 40:1–2)

When I mention the name of David, unfortunately, many people think first of his failure—and it is a glaring one. At the height of his career, he stumbled into lust. The lust turned into open adultery, the adultery led to murder, the murder led to deception—in fact, almost a year of lying to his people.