Running head: DEVIANT SIDE OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR 1
Biblical Position on The Deviant Side of Human Behavior
Amy J. Platz
Liberty University
October 31, 2021
DEVIANT SIDE OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2
Abstract
This paper aims to explore the nature of human behavior, specifically the wrong side of human
behavior related to crime. When studying criminal theory, we need to understand both the
secular view of crime and the spiritual view. The trick is to employ concepts but keep them
separate so that the spiritual is not corrupted by the secular. This paper articulates a spiritual view
of crime, namely the sinful nature.
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Biblical Position on The Deviant Side of Human Behavior
Criminology is the scientific study of crime and criminals. Theology is the study of the
nature of God and religious beliefs. These two disciplines are not generally associated together.
However, they are closely associated in many ways. Our beliefs about God and God’s
revelations through Holy Scripture inform our responses to crime and criminals, victims of
crime, and justice for all. In Scripture, justice is a significant theme.
Sin Nature
According to 1 John 3:4 (King James Version), “whoever sins also commits lawlessness,
and sin is lawlessness." In other words, any thought, belief, or action that violates God's Holy
Commandments is to be considered a sin. Sin and crime are both complex occurrences across
many different cultures. Societal norms are generally used to define criminal behavior, as crime
is a relative activity that considers the situation of society. From Scripture, it is understood that
man has a sinful nature. Romans 3:23 states that we are all sinners and fall short of God's
"glorious standard." When speaking of sin nature, we refer to the fact that man has a natural
inclination to sin; given a choice to do God's will or our own, we will naturally choose to do our
own thing. Choosing to defy societal norms through criminal behavior is a decision acquired
from an individual's personal beliefs. According to Genesis 4:7, "sin is eager to control people."
In the Bible, the first example of sin occurs when Adam and Eve give in to temptation by eating
the forbidden fruit. Adam and Eve, created in the Garden of Eden, are connected to God and
considered "good." It is this connection that gave Adam and Eve the ability to be able to resist
the urge to sin. Sin nature, therefore, is a part of all humans. Sin is inevitable. John1:8-10 states
that "if we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in truth."
Contempt of moral law can also be classified as sin nature. Many people believe they are not
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sinners; however, everyone is born into sin, and God can see the sinner in everyone. According
to Psalm 44:21, "God knows the secrets of the heart." When we choose to be rebellious against
God, we are following our sinful nature. Sin nature comes naturally. According to Romans 6:6,
"the body is ruled by sin."
How Sin Nature is obtained
Genesis 1:27 states that "God created man in His image." Sin nature originated with
Adam and Eve when they disobeyed God (Genesis 3). This willful act allowed sin to enter their
nature. Genesis 3:8 states that immediately upon their disobedience, Adam and Eve felt shame
and tried to hide it from God. All human beings are descendants of Adam and Eve; therefore, all
of humankind inherited sin nature. Sin nature is natural. Adam and Eve's first-born son, Cain,
kills his brother and becomes humanity's first murderer (Genesis 4:8). According to Romans
5:18, "we sin because we have sin nature. Every human being possesses a sin nature – a corrupt
nature inherited from Adam."
Furthermore, Psalm 51:5 states that everyone comes into this world as a sinner. This
inherited sin nature means, unfortunately, that we cannot help but sin. Sin is what separates us
from God. In Romans 5:12, Paul writes, "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one
man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned." Adam's sin
started it all, and now we are all sinners. Those who deny the sin nature are self-deceived (1 John
1:8). Through His virgin birth, Jesus Christ was the only person not to have a sinful nature (King
James Version). Therefore, Jesus was able to bypass the curse of Adam and live a sinless life of
absolute perfection (King James Version). Jesus was "the Holy and Righteous One" (Acts 3:14).
According to 1 Peter 1:19, this allowed Jesus to be sacrificed on the cross as our perfect
substitute.
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How to Overcome Sin Nature
According to 2 Corinthians 5:17, even though we are born with an inclination to
sin, God can transform us; we do not have to die without sins. In order to overcome our sinful
nature, we must ask for forgivingness (repent.) We repent through prayer when we ask God to
forgive the sins that we have committed. It is only through Christ that we can overcome the
sinful nature that is within all of us. According to 1 Corinthians 2:14: for salvation, a person
must trust Christ, and they will then receive a new nature. Colossians 3:10 further explains that
once we become believers, we acquire a new self, which is in the image of our Creator.
According to Romans 8:37, we are to be more than conquerors of our sins. As Christians, we
must battle against our sin (King James Version). Hebrews 10:5-7 explains that when Jesus
came into the world, he said: "God, You have given Me a body, and I have come to do Your
will." At the end of His life, when Jesus was facing enormous trials, He said, "… not My will,
but Yours, be done." (Luke 22:42).
According to Scripture, when we speak of "my will," we reference the sin that we have
all inherited. Therefore, we need to make that same decision (King James Version).
Furthermore, Jesus states in Revelation 3:21: "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit
with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne." As
Christians, we believe that through Jesus' sacrifice, we can be forgiven and be reconciled to God
(King James Version). There will also be an ongoing struggle throughout our lives between our
old and new natures (King James Version). To what extent we struggle will be determined
throughout our lives by both our attitude and what we practice (King James Version). If we can
understand these two natures, it prepares us for the spiritual battles we face, as the forces of evil
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try and weaken our faith and pull us back into sin (King James Version). The new believer will
experience joy and have a desire to live a life that pleases God:
The Effects of Sin Nature
The consequences of sinful nature include hostility towards our God and being ignorant
to His truth (King James Version). According to Paul, "The mind governed by the flesh is hostile
to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh
cannot please God" (Romans 8:7-8). In 1 Corinthians 2:14, it states that "the person without the
Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness
and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through Spirit." Inhumanity, sin
nature is universal. All human beings have a sinful nature, affecting every part of our lives (King
James Version). According to Isiah 53:6, "All of us have gone astray." In Psalm 58:3, David
stated, "Even from birth the wicked go astray, and from the womb they are wayward, spreading
lies." No one must teach a child to be selfish or lie; this is part of our sinful nature. We go to
great lengths to try and teach our children to be truthful and to put others before themselves.
Unfortunately, sin nature comes naturally to us. This is evident all around us. Our daily news
provides ample examples of humanity misbehaving.
The Role of Sin Nature in Criminal Behavior.
According to Genesis 1:26, God created humans in his image. In this sense, we resemble
our Creator with the ability to display qualities such as justice or love. Moreover, like our
Creator, we have free will. Even though God gave us free will, we are still responsible for
distinguishing between right and wrong (sin). We are not free to sin. Throughout our life, we
are surrounded by temptation. We must learn to control our desires in order to be saved from
sinful acts. Although we can not avoid these temptations, we can repent and not repeat the same
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act. This allows us to remain on a moral track throughout our life. To an extent, we can
determine our future. Deuteronomy 30:19-20 encourages us to "choose life….by listening to
God's voice." If we lacked free will, this would not be very meaningful. The Bible teaches us
that even though God is Almighty and unlimited power (King James Version), God does not use
his power to control everything. This is evident in Isaiah 42:14, as God possessed self-control
toward an enemy of his people (ancient Babylon). As is now, God chooses to tolerate those who
misuse their free will to harm others, but He will not do so indefinitely (Psalm 37:10-11). An
individual does not need to know Christ or be a Christian to understand the difference between
right and wrong (evil).
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References
Holman, B. &. (1996). The Holy Bible: King James Version: super giant print reference Bible.
Broadman & Holman Publishers. Retrieved October 31, 2021, from
https://go.exlibris.link/bRhc7rtD
Snipes, J. B., Bernard, T. J., & Gerould, A. L. (2019). Vold's Theoretical criminology. Oxford
University Press.
