Why is the world so saturated with immorality and wickedness of every kind?
The world is saturated with immorality and wickedness because unredeemed humanity has only the old Adamic nature, lacking the power of God to overcome it. Even background and training may restrain some, but they cannot produce victory over the old Adam. Paul writes that the works of old Adam are manifest.
Les explains that the world is so saturated with immorality and wickedness of every sort because that is all the unbeliever has—the old Adamic nature. Some people are inhibited to a degree by their background and training, but they still cannot get victorious over that old Adam, because that takes the power of God. Whether in a believer who in a moment of weakness lets old Adam take over, or mostly in the unbeliever and his lifestyle, the works of old Adam are manifest and obvious. Paul begins the list with adultery, fornication, and sexual immorality. Les also points to Esau, a fornicator destitute of faith, and Ishmael, who lacked the unction to obey God’s will and married an Egyptian contrary to what God wanted for Abraham’s offspring. Esau married Canaanite women already steeped in immorality and wickedness. In Paul’s classifications of human sins, the sexuality issue is almost always number one.