Now that we have a bit of history under the belt,
let's look at
let's look at
Total Depravity
(Or sometimes known as Absolute Inability)
- The Bible says:
- Before Christ we are spiritually "dead in trespasses and sins." [Ephesians 2:1]
- Before Christ we were slaves to sin [Romans 6:16, 20; John 8:34]
- Before Christ we are "hostile toward God," we do not subject ourselves to the laws of God, we are "not even able to do so." [Romans 8:7]
Well! That settles it! We're done here!
If only it were that simple...
You see, improper hermeneutics (Bible interpretation) have plagued the church since the beginning. Even the very beginning, when there was no written word or law, the serpent came to Eve in the garden and asked "Indeed, has God said..." bringing the spoken word of God, which was plain, into question. [Genesis 3:1] Boy, we can surely complicate an easy thing!
[God:] Everything is yours... you can eat from any tree you want except that one *pointing*. Don't eat from it because in the day that you eat from it, you will surely die.
[Satan:] Did God really say that?! He didn't mean that, you won't really die, He just knows that when you eat from that tree, you'll be like Him, knowing good and evil.
[People:] Oh hey, that makes a lot of sense! Alright then!
Seriously!?
The doctrine of total depravity stems from that very moment,
the first sin of mankind.
Romans 5 explains it wonderfully in this way:
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned-- 13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
Then it says:
18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men [without exception (Rom 3:23)], even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men [without distinction]. 19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
What's with the "without exception" and "without distinction?"
We will cover this when we get to Limited Atonement.
But for now, keep a mental note.
Everyone born after our natural representative head, Adam, is born under the curse. Adam and Eve may not have died physically that day, although they did start to die physically, but they did instantly die spiritually! "The wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23a) "The person that sins will die..." (Ezekiel 18:20a)
~ Time for honesty ~
And if 1 Corinthians 2:14 says this: But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
How then can we ever conclude, apart from the saving grace of God in the regeneration of the Holy Spirit, that anyone at anytime would/could ever come to Christ?! It's impossible! Man can not come to Christ because he will not come to Christ and he will never come to Christ until God imparts grace to him and brings his spiritually dead soul to life through the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration!
I hope your imagination is working right now and you can 'hear' the excitement in my voice through this text!
This is the doctrine of Regeneration which has been lost in recent years due to perversion of the Scriptures and watering down the gospel of Jesus Christ!
As I said in my earlier post, a slow but steady leaving, this doctrine is found literally from cover to cover in our Bibles. Literally. We constantly see man's inclination to sin against God and God's mercy, patience and justice when we do because some are forgiven then some are righteously judged and punished. That's God's right, He is absolutely able to use that right and without exception, He is always perfectly just in His decision.
Many will say "that makes as much sense as a football bat!"
"That's fatalism"
"That kind of doctrine will kill evangelistic zeal!"
"What's the use in evangelism then?"
Romans 1:16 says "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." See? It's God's power to save! Not man's! And the God who saves has also ordained the means which He will use to do so! The Gospel!
So many people these days have an "if only" mentality when it comes to the Christian life, especially in the realm of salvation.
- If only I could preach like Billy Sunday or Billy Graham or John MacArthur or George Whitefield... then those people would surely be saved!
- If only I had said [this] or [that] in our conversation, maybe that person would've accepted Jesus right then!
- If only they'd use this type of evangelical presentation, more people would come to Christ!
- If we play the right kind of music and leave the confrontational passages about sin and judgment out of our sermons, then more people will come to church and have a better chance of being saved!
On and on, etcetera etcetera...
I for one have fallen prey to the 2nd idea, several times! I'll get down the road feeling bad about how a witnessing conversation went and a passage of Scripture will come to mind and I think "MAN! Why didn't I think of that then!? Surely that would've won (him/her) over!"
But this mentality is faulty and man-centered. Why?
One plants, another waters, but it is God that causes growth! [1 Corinthians 3]
Ever read the parable of the soils in Matthew 13? If Jeremiah 17:9 says "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?" And if Ezekiel 36:26 says our hearts are stone; who do you think it is that makes our hearts into the good soil that accepts the seed of the word and brings forth fruit?
God does.
Salvation is God's work!
The doctrines of grace don't kill evangelistic zeal at all for the one who rightly understands them, in fact, they will boost the zeal to get out and witness for Christ because we know from Romans 10 "13 for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." 14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!" If we have a passion for souls to be saved, we must be about spreading the gospel because without it, there can be no salvation!
"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
This is what the Lord Jesus came for! He came to redeem!
To actually redeem, not just make redemption possible with man's help!
(More on that also when we get to Limited Atonement)
Galatians 4 says "4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons."
Luke 4 says "18 "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, 19 TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD." 20 And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
--The Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, accomplished what He came to do!
--The Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, accomplished what He came to do!
This is why it is recorded in the gospel of John, chapter 6, Jesus said "33 For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world." 34 Then they said to Him, "Lord, always give us this bread." 35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out."
This is why we boldly proclaim Christ, His perfect life, His atoning death and His justifying, bodily resurrection from the dead 3 days later because all who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit or even those who will be in the future, will surely be saved by the free, gracious act of God through faith!
And so we, like Ezekiel in chapter 37, preach the word of God to valleys of dry bones,
We, like the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5, "11 knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men..." and "we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
And as we preach and tell all people, "flee the wrath to come, flee to Christ," we know that "Salvation is from the Lord!" (Jonah 2:9)
Praise God! He alone is worthy!
Thanks for reading, I hope it was a blessing to you!
Next up, Unconditional Election.
That'll be up asap, until then, don't forget the mental notes; pray... read... ask God for understanding and wisdom!
