Total Depravity

Welcome back to Coffee with a Calvinist. My name is Keith Foskey, and I am a Calvinist. Today we're going to be looking at Romans chapter 3. Romans chapter 3 is a very important passage when referring to the subject of Calvinism, because it deals with the T in the tulip.

Now if you're not familiar with the tulip, the tulip is what's known as the doctrines of grace. It's five specific doctrines that refer to Calvinism, and if somebody refers to themselves as a Calvinist, sometimes they'll refer to themselves as a five-point Calvinist, because the tulip, T-U-L-I-P, stands for the five points which make up what are known as the doctrines of grace, or the doctrines of Calvinism.

Total Depravity and the Meaning of the T in TULIP

And the first one of those doctrines is the T, which stands for total depravity. And what total depravity means is that all men, because of the sin of Adam, have inherited a sin nature which makes them opposed to the things of God.

And where do we find that in Scripture? Well, we find that in several places in Scripture. There's many places throughout the Old Testament that talk about men only doing evil continually, and when men are given the opportunity to do what's in their hearts, their hearts will lead them to evil.

And the Bible even tells us in the Old Testament the heart is desperately wicked. Who can understand it, or who can know it? But when we get to the New Testament, we have a very clear passage that's outlined to us, for us, but rather by the Apostle Paul.

Romans 3 and Paul's Indictment of Universal Sin

And it's here in Romans chapter 3. In Romans chapter 3, if you begin at verse 9, Paul asks this question, What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are all under sin.

And that's been the purpose of Paul in writing chapters 1 and 2. In chapter 1, he explained how all the world of Gentiles are condemned and under sin. And then in chapter 2, he explains that the Jews, even though they have the law, are really no better off, because even though they have the law, they haven't been able to keep it.

So by the time he gets to chapter 3, he's really bringing it to a crescendo. He's bringing it to the point to say that all are under sin, whether they be Jew or Gentile. Everybody has sinned. And this, in chapter 3, is where we get that famous verse in verse 23, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

But it's actually in verses 9 through 18 that Paul really expresses the depth of man's sin. And he expresses it by quoting several Old Testament passages. He says, beginning in verse 10, As it is written, None is righteous, no, not one.

No one understands. No one seeks for God. All have turned aside. Together they have become worthless. No one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave. They use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips.

Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. And their paths are ruin and misery. And the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.

What an indictment. And notice that the indictment is not limited to the Jews or to the Gentiles, but the indictment is given to all mankind. Jew and Gentile alike are all under sin. And not just under sin, but in such a way that mankind is now opposed to the things of God.

No One Seeks for God

Notice that it says here that there is none who seeks after God. That's verse 11. It says, No one understands. No one seeks for God. Years ago, it was very popular for churches to identify themselves as seeker-sensitive churches.

That being churches that were open to people who were seeking God. And they said, We want to make our churches as comfortable as we can for the unbelievers so that they will feel comfortable coming into our churches because they're seeking God, and we want to make him as easy as he can to be found.

And we don't want to put up any of the obstacles or the entrapments that are a part of traditional organized religion. We want to make sure that everyone who is seeking God is able to find him easily.

The problem with that is that there is no God seeker. There is no one who seeks for God. God is the one who seeks us out. That's the heart of Calvinism, by the way. The heart of Calvinism is first understanding the nature of man.

Well, let me back up and say this. First understanding the nature of God and his sovereignty, but also it includes understanding the nature of man in his depravity. God and his sovereignty and man in his depravity are the two foundational stones of understanding the doctrines of Calvinism.

Because if you understand that man does not seek after God naturally. In fact, he's opposed to God. He doesn't want to go and find God, but God actually seeks him out. Then the other doctrines that come along, such as election and predestination and those things, are a lot more easy to understand.

Because as long as you think that men are somehow out there seeking God and God is holding them back, then you'll never really understand Calvinism. Calvinism doesn't say men are seeking God and God is holding them back and he's only taking the ones that he wants.

No, Calvinism teaches what the Bible teaches, and that is this. There is no one seeking for God. And you say, but wait a minute. I know many people who seek for God. I meet people all the time who say that they're seeking for God.

But understand this. It's one thing to seek for the blessings of God. It's quite another to seek for the being of God. Every man wants what only God can provide, but no man wants to submit to God and to be his subject.

And so it's this. Everybody wants heaven. Nobody wants holiness. Everybody wants what God can give. Nobody wants God. And so when Paul says no one seeks for God, he's not saying no one seeks for heaven.

He's not saying no one seeks for blessings. He's not saying no one seeks for healing. He's not saying no one seeks for the prosperity and all the things that only God can provide. What he's saying is no one seeks for God, and that is the truth.

No One Can Come to Christ Unless the Father Draws Him

In fact, Jesus said in John chapter 6, no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day. You see, that passage tells us that the ability to come to Jesus has to begin with God first drawing us to Jesus.

And unless God draws us, we can't come. Jesus said no one can come to me. He didn't say no one may come to me. He said no one can. There's an inability in man. No one seeks for God. God is the one who seeks for us, and we see that clearly here in Romans chapter 3.

There's so much more that I would like to say about this, but for time's sake, I'm simply going to remind you that Romans chapter 3, in regard to man and his depravity, man and his sin, and beginning to look at the subject of man and his justification is one of the most important chapters in the entire Bible.

So I encourage you today as you read, read it thoroughly, read it slowly, read it multiple times, and spend some time with God and his word today. I hope this has been helpful to you. I hope that these daily Bible studies are an encouragement to you, and if they are, please take the time to go and subscribe to our channel.

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