Total Depravity

For the full post, see www.valleyofdrychurches.webs.com

By Kevin Deane

The only thing you contribute to salvation is sin, so that the Christian may proclaim ' the only good thing in me is Christ!'

Orthodoxy

The depravity of man is an orthodox teaching. It is not new. In the early church, churches would elect bishops who would meet together and discuss new teachings. This is, for example, where we get extra-biblical terms like 'Trinity.' Although the term is never used in the Bible, the Spirit-filled, wise men of the early church were able to discern correct teachings. These bishops were able to meet and determine what we call orthodoxy – the correct, foundational, undeniable, Biblical teachings.

When heresies arose, they were rejected by these councils. There are only so many heresies that arose and continue to arise throughout time. So when a heresy resurfaces its head, the preacher of this false teaching isn't just contradicting men of today, but contradicting basic teachings the Spirit-filled men of the church have agreed upon for the last several thousand years.

The first proper examination of depravity is usually credited to Augustine, the bishop of Hippo (in Northern Africa). He believed that man inherited a complete death from Adam, and was born with no desire for God. This was contradicted by a man named Pelagius, who felt man had some good in them, and would be willing to accept God. The church has historically rejected Pelagius and accepted Augustine, although in recent years, the Pelagian teaching has been rearing its head again.

Imputation

The trespass of Adam brought death to many. The Bible is primarily a story of two perfect people - Jesus and Adam. Adam was a created son of God (Luke 3:38 ), Jesus is a begotten Son of God (John 3:16). Both were in gardens, and both went to a tree. One disobeyed and one obeyed. Through Adam's disobedience, death was brought to many. Through Jesus obedience, life was brought to those who believe (Romans 5). So 

Adam did not die a physical death, but His relationship with God died. It was not that merely his soul died, but he, in his entirety, had a relationship with God that died. Sin therefore, is primarily against God and not against others. Crimes against people can be paid with finite punishments, but crimes against God deserve eternal punishments. Adam broke the eternal law of an eternal God and earned an eternal punishment (death). The death of Adam, and his immediate spiritual separation from God was passed on to all people

The serpent should have been in submission to the woman, for mankind was placed in authority ovver beasts. The serpent usurped his authority, and deceived Eve. Eve was supposed to be in submission to the man, but usurped her authority and deceived the man. The man usurped the authority of God and ate the fruit. The nature passed on from Adam is therefore in regards to the usurping of authority. We are born with hearts already in the condition of having made the choice to usurp God's authority.

We are born with this heart. (Psalm 51:1-5). Sin, therefore is not what you do, but who you are.

We are born totally dead. This does not mean we are as evil as we could be, but that every area of us is affected by this depravity given by Adam. Total depravity is a reference to the total person being dead.

Prior to the fall, Adam had free will in an unbiased manner. He could choose to sin or not to sin. Since the fall, we have somewhat of a moral necessity to act according to our nature. We have free will, to choose righteousness or sin, but always choose sin, for our free will is a biased one. We act according to our fallen nature. When someone puts a gun in your face and demands 'your money or your life,' you have a free will choice, but it is a biased one. Your life is (or should be!) worth more to you than your money. So you freely choose to give your money, every time, for your free choice has been made biased. This is how we are with sin. We do corrupt things because we are corrupt people.

“We are not corrupted by acquired wickedness, but bring an innate corruption from the very womb.” - John Calvin

You are not a sinner because you sin, you sin because you are a sinner.

The law given by Moses clarified sin, showing it to be the fruit of pride and idolatry, both of which produce a rejection of God's glory. We wouldn't know what sin was if the law hadn't said 'do not sin' (Romans 7:7). The laws described in the Torah are not just random laws, but are careful descriptions of how pride and idolatry reveal themselves. When pride and idolatry are acted upon, it produces what Moses commanded the people not to do. That is why Jesus is not just concerned with people keeping the absolutes of the law, but is also concerned about the heart condition concerning the law (Matthew 5:27-28).

What Depravity Looks Like

The death brought by Adam produces a people that do not know God. (Isaiah1) God calls to the heavens and earth, both which know Him, and points to His people, which don't know Him.

More than that, when people see God's true glory, they will flee (Isaiah 2:19). Adam fled from God's presence, and we have been fleeing ever since.

Men hate the true God, but they love the concept of a supreme being that blesses people and gives assurance after death, but they hate the true God as He presents Himself. Rather than believing we are created in the image of God, we create a god in our own image. The god most people believe in is just a version of themselves only bigger, more powerful and a little bit better. This is why people have problems with a God who would send people to hell – they would not demonstrate justice in the same way, and so God's description of Himself does not apply to their understanding of the god they created. So within various religions, and even within Christianity, people love 'god' but hate the true God. Religion is used to conceal an unwillingness to have faith in the true God.

Israel did this – they kept all of God's laws, but did not want God Himself (Isaiah 1:10-18). Despite their correct keeping of Levitical law, God wanted them to seek the true God before He was willing to reason with them and forgive their sins. “Men do seek God. But they do not seek him for who he is. They seek him in a pinch as one who might preserve them from death or enhance their worldly enjoyments. Apart from conversion, no one comes to the light of God.” -John Piper

Even the virtuous deeds we do are not considered good, because they are not done in the right heart. Everything not done in faith is sin (Romans14:23). We are restrained from doing evil by selfish motives. You don't speed for example, because of the consequences. Society, culture, law and the potential of conflict prevent us from doing evil. Doing good, also is done from a heart of selfishness that seeks some fulfilment outside of good. I would go so far as to say that I have never done a good thing without some measure of desire for the applause of men, for an earning of God's favour or for self-fulfilment. The only good ever lived out in a man is what Christ lives out in a person. This is the argument of Romans 6-12, which is why Paul tells us "no man must think higher of himself than he ought"(Romans 12). Things not done with a love for God and out of faith are sin. Everything that is not done in faith and does not reflect a complete love for God, is not considered good in God's eyes. So doing good and refraining from doing evil still come from a depraved heart.

Dealing with Depravity

It is only when man himself is dealt with that God's glory is restored. The primary issue is not what you do, but you yourself. You yourself must be dealt with (Isaiah 2:10-18 ). When Noah's flood came, God didn't deal with the brothels, He dealt with the people. 'Love the sinner hate the sin' is a term for Christians, not for God. Either you forsake yourself, or God will forsake you. If you don't deal with your own sin, God will deal with it. (Isaiah 5:1-7). If you don't splatter yourself with Christ's blood, Christ will splatter Himself with your blood on the Day of the Lord.

Jesus talks about coming to the sick and not to the healthy. If you believe yourself to have any measure of righteousness, you don't need God's righteousness. Only the ones in complete need of Christ can experience the complete Savior.

“It is hard to exaggerate the importance of admitting our condition to be this bad. If we think of ourselves as basically good or even less than totally at odds with God, our grasp of the work of God in redemption will be defective. But if we humble ourselves under this terrible truth of our total depravity, we will be in a position to see and appreciate the glory and wonder of the work of God.” - John Piper

Until you understand and forsake your own depravity, you can not be saved. Believing and accepting what God says about you rather than what you believe about yourself is a demonstration of the kind of faith needed to be saved.

God's Election

Because your heart is born proud, you can not recognize your own depravity until God reveals it to you. Isaiah is a righteous man, and can no doubt see the sinfulness of others openly fleeing from God, but does not see his own depravity until he stands in God's glory. (Isaiah 5:1 – selfishness, 5:11-6:5) When Isaiah sees God's glory Isaiah says 'woe is me.' It is easy to say woe unto others, but only God's revealed glory to a person causes them to say 'woe is me.'

Man, unless drawn by God, can not by himself produce a desire for the true God.

John 6:44

Romans 8:7-8

1 Corinthians 2:14

If God chooses not to remove the blindness from people's eyes, they will remain blind.

Isaiah 6:9-13

Mark 4:9-12

Conclusion: 

In conclusion, man is born with a dead relationship towards God. You are born with no knowledge of Him and no desire for Him. Man does not want God.

Therefore, the only people that will ever come to God are those that He draws. According to Isaiah, God hardens people so they will not come. According to Jesus the only people that will come are the ones the Father draws, and according to Paul some are created so that God may be glorified in their destruction. And who can question the Almighty? (Romans 9:14-24)

Salvation is like a person drowning at the bottom of the sea. Jesus dives down, wraps His arms around you and pulls you up. The common picture is of Jesus diving and reaching out to you and your hand, symbolizing faith, grabs His. But this is not the biblical picture. We are so depraved, He must pull us up, for naturally we have no desire to reach out to His hand.

Therefore you have only two options:

1. God has revealed Himself to all people through preeminent grace, and drawn them to a point where they can choose to follow Him or not. This is the (extremely paraphrased) Arminian view.

2. God's glory is so great and man is so depraved that if He revealed Himself to people they would flee further from Him. Therefore, He has, for His own glory, elected a select group of people before time began and revealed to them an irresistible grace. Therefore the redeemed are a predestined, select group of people. This is (again, a very small piece of) the Calvinist view.

Which of those views you choose is up to you. The Bible doesn't give us a decisive answer. Personally, I lean towards number 2, but I encourage you to study the Word for yourself and reach your own conclusion. Romans and Isaiah are great places to start.

Pelagius' great issue was that Augustine would pray and ask God to grant what He had commanded. And it is easier and nicer sounding to assume that what God commands we can produce. But Augustine was providing a more biblical doctrine. Grace not only facilitates our quest for perfection, but is necessary for it. The church has sided with Augustine, and concluded that grace is necessary, expelling Pelagius at the Synod of Carthage in 418. And their reasoning is rooted in the thought that we have inherited a death from Adam. The only way Pelagius could be right is to teach that we did not inherit sin from Adam but were born good. But this contradicts the Bible. Man is born with no good thing, no desire for God, and must be drawn by God.

Therefore, grace is at the centre of the gospel. You will never understand grace until you understand your own condition. God's mercy, grace and love are revealed in the revealing of who we are.

The importance of this whole teaching is to understand that the only thing you contribute to salvation is sin, so that the Christian may proclaim ' the only good thing in me is Christ!'

Practical Application:

1. Conversion is not our responsibility – you are expected to preach the gospel, not see people accept it. Isaiah and Jeremiah did not see converts.

2. Grace is the centre of the gospel.

3. Sin must be included and emphasized in the telling of the gospel – no one eats unless they are hungry and no one needs Jesus' righteousness until they understand their own righteousness.

4. We must examine our good deeds to see if they come from a heart of faith and a love for God – is their pride and selfishness in your moral deeds?

5. The search for God does not end with conversion, it begins with conversion. We use the phrase 'seeking God' for non-Christians, and while we understand this expression, your true search for the true God begins with conversion. As a believer you have finally been given a heart that desires the true God. Spend your life learning and growing in your knowledge of the Almighty.

6. Live as though you can save everyone, preach knowing you can not. Present the gospel to everyone you encounter, but don't coerce or manipulate people into accepting it. That is God's job.

7. We preach the gospel to glorify God, not to convert people. Fulfil the great commission, even if, like Isaiah, you see no one saved. The Great Commission is for God's glory, not for your results. Be faithful amidst a hardened people.