Total Depravity is a bit of an archaic term, and isn’t the best term for the discussion. It’s a good term and a useful one but not the best one. Perhaps a better one is total inability or total corruption or maybe totally messed up.
all men are born with a sin nature, that is all men have a desire for sin
This is a bad definition especially if you are new to the concept.
The basic idea of total depravity is that the physical human father of humanity, Adam, sinned; and God being perfectly just, had to punish him for that sin–that punishment was death. That death occurred in two ways–physical and spiritual. Physically, Adam did not die immediately, but began to decay and brought future death. Spiritually, his sin brought immediate spiritual death. A division was driven between himself and God. He could not commune with God except through a mediator. Now just as physical death passed to all of Adam’s descendants so did spiritual death.
If you followed all of that:
Adam sinned
Adam died spiritually
Adam died physically
therefore, all of Adam’s children have died spiritually
all of Adam’s children have died physically or will physically die shortly.
This spiritual death has many facets and implications. Just like Adam’s spiritual death, his descendants’ spiritual death is immediate. We have it from birth. It is an inherited trait that all humans possess. So, I have defined total depravity as the trait of spiritual death that all humans possess.
This view is completely biblical. If you want to be completely convinced of this read Genesis 3 and 4. Then look at 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 and finally read through Romans 5:10-21. If you only have time to read one portion read Romans 5.
Well, I am out of time for tonight so it looks like Total Depravity will have to become a two part mini-series inside of the larger series. Next time, we will define spiritual death.
It has been a long time since I have written anything. I was out of the state for 1 week, out of the country for two weeks, then I had to make up two weeks worth of school work, graduate, then start working on 50 different things, and now I have to start blogging again–It has been a long, long time since that last post.
I won’t be able to post anything of substance until Sunday, but I would like to introduce my next topic. Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, I want to discuss the doctrines of grace. I will also have some book reports and maybe a page or two from my travel journal.
The doctrines of Grace are also known as Calvinism. The acrostic TULIP provides us with the traditional and easy way to remember the doctrines. They are the following:
Total Depravity-all men are born with a sin nature, that is all men have a desire for sin.
Unconditional Election-all men that were saved, are saved, or will be saved were chosen by God to be saved before the beginning of the world.
Limited Atonement-Christ’s blood only paid for the sins of the elect. His death did not pay for the sins of the damned.
Irresistible Grace-all men that Christ calls (or elects) to salvation will be saved.
Perseverance of the Saints-all those that Christ saves will be saved to the uttermost, both positionally and practically. No one will fall from grace; all of the elect will mature in godliness and will not fall away.
That is my basic definition for each of the points. It all needs to be clarified and some need caveats but that is the basic bare bones definition. I hope to be able to post on each topic separately.
I am sorry things have been really slow the last two weeks, but I have been working ahead in order to be gone for the next three weeks. So posting is about to become nonexistent. I will be gone for three consecutive weeks. I will be at the Wilds for a week on my classes senior trip, and in Asia Minor for two weeks on a Journeys of Paul tour.
What God says in his revealed Word doesn’t matter that much. As long as you take the spirit of the Scripture as a whole, it doesn’t matter if you misconstrue a section of Scripture.
For example, it is perfectly permissible to to take Scripture out of context as long as you do not say something contrary to the whole of the Bible. If you have something that people are having problems with, you can use whatever you used in devotions that morning and just apply it to the situation. For pastors you may want to tell the people you are using the passage out of context, but that is not absolutely necessary.
There is only one law of Bible interpretation:
Don’t contradict the whole counsel of God.
If you follow that rule you will be safe. Don’t worry about using John 3:16 to tell someone that he should dress in his Sunday best to church. As long as you find that principle somewhere in Scripture it is ok. It doesn’t matter what God means in a particular context.
Note: This is Satire. Hopefully you were repulsed by the attitude demonstrated towards the Word of God.
Yea, I thought it impossible that ever I should attain to so much goodness of heart, as to thank God that he had made me a man. Man indeed is the most noble, by creation, of all the creatures in the visible world: but by sin he has made himself the most ignoble. The beasts, birds, fishes, etc., I blessed their condition, for they had not a sinful nature, they were not obnoxious in the sight of God; they were not to go to hell fire after death; I could therefore [have] rejoiced had my condition been as any of theirs.
John Bunyan, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners pg. 25
