Wild By Nature

"Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman (Hagar the Egyptian) and the other by the free woman (Sarah). His son by the slave woman (Ishmael) was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman (Isaac) was born as the result of a promise. These things may be taken figuratively... Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. But what does the Scripture say? "Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son." Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but (children) of the free woman." (Galatians 4: 21-24, 28-31 NIV)

Christians, figuratively speaking, are spiritual Isaacites, whereas those who are lost in sin are spiritual Ishmaelites. The similarities between Isaac and Christians are striking and interesting; so also are the similarities between Ishamael and lost sinners.

First, Isaac was the "child of promise." His birth was predestined. Second, he was a divinely chosen and appointed child, Jehovah's "elect," before he was born. Third, his birth was supernatural, his mother Sarah being ninety years old when Isaac was conceived. Fourth, he was born in complete freedom, his mother being a "freewoman." Finally, the nature, character, and disposition of Isaac was opposite of that of his half-brother Ishmael.

On the other hand, Ishmael was not the "child of promise," not the chosen of God, not born completely free, not born supernaturally, but possessed a nature, character, and disposition that was opposite his half-brother Isaac.

"And the angel of the LORD said unto her (Hagar), Behold, thou art with child and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren." (Genesis 16: 11, 12 KJV)

From his birth, naturally, Ishamael would have a constitution and character that is best described by a single word - "wild." He (and each of his descendents too) would be a "wild man."

This is a fitting description of the state of the lost sinner as he comes into the world. Man is born with a spiritually wild nature, one that is averse to God and righteousness.

"For vain men would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt." (Job 11: 12 KJV)

Man is born with a beastly and wild nature, spiritually speaking. He has a nature that is untamed, and out of control, and incorrigible, in relation to God and to godliness. When it comes to his resistance to God and righteousness, he is like a stubborn mule, or a kicking bronco or the "natural brute beast."

"These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee? Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull (caught) in a net..." (Isaiah 51: 19, 20 KJV)

"How canst thou say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: thou art a swift dromedary traversing her ways; A wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her...O generation, see ye the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness?" (Jeremiah 2: 23, 31 KJV)

"But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption." (II Peter 2: 12 KJV)

"But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves." (Jude 1: 10 KJV)

What a vivid and enlightening picture of the lost state of sinful man! All men, like Ishamael, are born with a beastly character and nature, morally and spiritually wild. He has no "angel" quality to his nature, and this is why he needs a new birth, to be renewed and regenerated in his inner spiritually depraved nature, to "partake of the divine nature." (See II Peter 1: 4 KJV)

Men do not partake of the divine nature in their first, or natural births! The first birth makes men degenerate, but the second birth regenerates them. The first birth and nature is wild and untamed, while the second birth and nature is tame and domesticated, and puts the sinner into a spiritually calm and submissive state. In conversion, the Holy Spirit "breaks" the will of the sinner in much the same way cowboys "break" horses. He then puts that sinner into his own yoke, a yoke that is much easier than the yoke of bondage that they were under by their natural births. In the first birth, we inherit the likeness and character of fallen Adam, but in the second birth, we inherit the likeness and character of the second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ.

"Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air." (Acts 10: 12 KJV)

These animals were all unclean animals and represented the lost Gentile nations, yea, every lost sinner. Notice the word "wild" again. Man is born like a wild ass's colt, with a nature that resists being spiritually tamed and domesticated. Only divine power can overcome this resistance and opposition, by the Holy Spirit's power to "break" the will of the wild sinner.

"And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones." (Mark 5: 2-5 KJV)

Lost sinners, though not outwardly as "wild" as was this man who was possessed of legions of demons, are nevertheless also wild, and have the potential to become even increasingly wild and incorrigible.

Notice how this sinner got "tamed"! Notice that Jesus had to "break" him! Praise be to his holy name for his "riding upon a colt,the foal of an ass"!

This is how he came riding into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, as foretold by the prophet, and it was upon a colt and one "upon which no man ever sat." (Mark 11: 1, 2 KJV)

Jesus, by his sitting upon these wild animals, tamed them, and what he did for the demon possessed Gadarence, who had his wild nature tamed, so much so that he was found sitting at Jesus' feet in a spiritually "calm and submissive state," so too does he still yet to this day!

"If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." (James 3: 2-8 KJV)

No man can tame his own tongue, or any other member of his body, for his whole nature is wild, and enslaved to sin, and must be tamed by the Lord and his power alone. That which is "wild" is "unruly," but that which has been tamed is disciplined and obedient.

"I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness..." (Hosea 9: 10 KJV)

"After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree..." (Romans 11: 24 NIV)

"And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth (domesticated) grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes...And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth (domesticated) grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down." (Isaiah 5: 2-5 KJV)

Friend, Lord God originally made our parents, Adam and Eve, very nice domesticated vines (speaking figuratively). How then did they become wild? Also, how can they be tamed now that they have become wild? Is the answer to these questions not in the above verses from the word of God?