People want to agree that they are not perfect. No Christian thinks they receive salvation because they are so awesome(if you do think this, you may have missed the point). After all, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick...For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners(Matt. 9-11-13)."
"Total depravity entails total inability, that is, the state of not having it in oneself to respond to God and his Word in a sincere and wholehearted way (John 6:44; Rom. 8:7-8 cited below). Paul calls this unresponsiveness of the fallen heart a state of death (Eph. 2:1, 5; Col. 2:13)..."
Jesus states in John 6:44:
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day."
Paul states in Romans 7-8
"...the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God."
The implications of a belief in the total depravity/inability opens the door to other beliefs such as the doctrine of election or predestination. I would like to explore these connections in future blogs. For now, I'll leave it short and sweet.
Note: Total depravity should not be confused with the theological concept of utter depravity which R.C. Sproul describes as "to be as wicked as one could possibly be." I believe the doctrine of utter depravity to be wrong and non-biblical.
1 comment:
total depravity is the heart of reformed theology, and it's why I fundamentally agree with reformed theology. Jesus and Paul both teach it, and without it, Jesus' sacrifice would not have been necessary.
I think it's interesting that Christianity has adopted so many ideals of modern humanism that people are "ultimately good" rather than "ultimately bad". I don't know about you, but my urges and temptations are almost always sinful ones, and I am constantly struggling to deny the desires of my flesh. To fool ourselves into thinking that we are ultimately good people is devastating for those that need to realize their need for Christ in their lives.
Good stuff Sam.
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