Total Depravity

Well, tonight we are going to continue what we started last week, and if you remember what we started last week, we began to talk about the subject of Calvinism. And the reason for that was because we have been in a study of Soteriology.

And our study of Soteriology is the study of the Doctrine of Salvation. You'll notice on your handout, we have gone through ten lessons. And some of those were two-week-long lessons. I want to take one of those, brothers.

I don't have one of those up here. Some of those are two-week-long lessons that we went through. So we have been in the Doctrine of Salvation now for probably ongoing around three months or more. And I have all the parts here.

Part 1, Saved from what? Part 2, Definition of Atonement. Part 3, Extent of the Atonement, and Common and Special Grace, and Justification, and all those things. But I put Part 10 as the five points of Calvinism because, as I expressed to you last week, the five points of Calvinism encapsulate an idea about God and about salvation that we as a church need to be able to define, especially since we define ourselves as a Reformed Church.

Reformed Churches, the one thing that holds Reformed Churches together, in a sense, is a commitment to what would be called the Doctrines of Grace. The Doctrines of Grace are Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints.

Those are the Doctrines of Grace. And if you're in a church that calls itself Reformed, one of the things that you can feel fairly confident about is they're going to hold to those five things. But those things did not arise out of the ether.

Those things didn't just pop out onto the scene. Those five statements have a history. And I talked last week about the history of those five statements, how they came out of a synod called the Synod of Dort.

And what had happened was there was a man who rose up against the Reformed Church. His name was Jacobus Arminius. His followers were called the Remonstrants. And the Remonstrants, Protestors, is what that word means.

We know a lot about Protestors right now. Well, the Protestors were against the Reformed Church, and they had five heads of doctrine. Free will, conditional election, unlimited atonement, resistible grace, and the ability to fall from grace.

Those were the five positions of the Remonstrants. That was the five points of Arminianism. And in response to that, the synod produced five heads of doctrine. They weren't called the Tulip until the early 1900s.

We talked about that last week. But the concepts were there. I used to listen to a pastor. He's retired now, but his name was Roy Hargrave. And he was the pastor of River Bend Community Church, which is in Ormond Beach.

It used to be First Baptist Ormond Beach, and then they changed their name to River Bend Community Church. And Roy Hargrave, every year that he was the pastor, and he was the pastor there for a long time, every year, at least once a year, he would stop what he was doing and he would preach a series on the doctrines of grace.

And the reason for that is, he said, I never want our people to forget who we are. And I never want them to not be able to identify what distinguishes us. We call ourselves Sovereign Grace. Now, people who know what that means, know what that means.

People who don't, don't. And a lot of people don't. A lot of people don't know the difference between Sovereign Grace and any other name. But people who know what Reformed means, for good or for bad, will come here either with a positive attitude or one with an attitude to debate.

And we've had both. We ought to be able to stand and know what we're talking about. And so for the next five weeks, I'm going to take each one of these doctrines, Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, Perseverance of the Saints, and I'm going to give a lesson on it.

Now, my lessons on Wednesday night are only about 30 minutes. So, it's not going to be a long lesson. But I want to show you how to understand these doctrines. And this should take us to our break. We normally take a break in August.

So, this should take us through to our break. And when we come back from our break, we'll start on Ecclesiology, which is the doctrine of the Church. Go back to our Systematic Theology study. So, it kind of fits well within the calendar.

Total Depravity as the First of the Doctrines of Grace

So, the Doctrines of Grace, the first one is Total Depravity. But remember what Total Depravity is. Total Depravity is a response to the Arminian doctrine known as Free Will. The Arminians said, man has a free will to do what he wants, how he wants, when he wants, and he can do good toward God if he so chooses to.

The Reformed or Calvinistic response is the doctrine called Total Depravity. Now, for a moment, I'd like to just discuss what the word Depravity means. Because it's not a normal word that we use in everyday language.

Depravity. In fact, before I became a Reformed teacher, I probably never used that word ever. I mean, I don't remember growing up and hearing people talk about depravity, unless it was some expression of something really bad.

It was an expression of depravity. But normally, they don't use that word. Normally, they say depraved. Depraved is the more common use of language. And what does it mean? What does depravity mean? What does depraved mean?

It means morally corrupt. If you say about someone, wouldn't you say that some of what you've seen on the news recently has been depraved? People beating other people in the streets. Watch the video of a man who was trying to guard his store.

He was drug out onto the corner and was beaten almost to death. When they finally separated from him and saw his position, his arm had been twisted up behind his head and was sticking out from behind his head.

He had been kicked and punched and stomped. His leg was folded up underneath him. His arm was twisted up behind his head, sticking up above his head. Obviously, his shoulder had been destroyed. And I say, boy, that's depraved.

To do that to an image bearer of God. So we know what depraved means. And another definition other than moral corruption is the word wickedness. The word wickedness is another word for depravity. And that's really the word I want to focus on because that's the word the Bible likes to use.

The Bible uses the word wicked in many places. And guess who is the object of that word? Us. So when you think total depravity, maybe an easier way of thinking is totally wicked. Malcolm Muggeridge said this, The depravity of man is at once the most empirically verifiable reality, but at the same time the most intellectually resisted fact.

I'll say it again. The depravity of man is at once the most empirically verifiable reality. It means we see it everywhere. But at the same time it is the most intellectually resisted fact. Because when you talk to men, do they admit to their own depravity?

They champion their own goodness. The Proverbs tell us that. The Proverbs say, Almost every man will declare his own righteousness. And all you have to do is spend just a few days going around asking people, Are you a good person?

You will get a 10 out of 10. I'm a good person. Unless they've ever talked to me. They might tell you then if they've ever heard. Because all you have to do is walk through the law and you'll see you're not a good person.

So, we talk about total depravity, total wickedness. And what does this mean? This means from a biblical standpoint that man is in a lost condition. He is in a depraved condition. He is in a wicked condition.

And the other word, of course, is total. By total, you need to understand what the thought behind this is when we say total depravity or total wickedness. It does not mean that you are as depraved as you could be.

Because in all honesty, no matter how bad a person is, he could always be a little more bad. Even Hitler loved his mama. That was a phrase I like to say because as bad as Hitler was, he had a girlfriend.

If you can imagine, Eva Braun. Imagine being Hitler's girlfriend. Ladies, I mean really? This is your man? But you understand, when we talk about total depravity, we're talking about the depravity that is touching every area of us.

That's what it means when it says total depravity. There's not a part of us that's righteous. Our thoughts, our words, our deeds. I've asked this before. What if you could take just your thoughts for one day, put them on a television screen, and play them for all your friends?

Would you have any friends left? I mean, just your thoughts. So the idea of total depravity is the depravity is throughout. It's total. It's not as bad as it could be. It's not utter depravity, and there is a difference.

And oftentimes that needs to be explained. Utter depravity would mean, like I said, just as bad as they can be. But it is total in that it reaches every area. And remember the distinction. The distinction for the Armenian is, no, man is not totally depraved.

He has a free will. He can choose good. That's what the definition of free will is in Arminianism. He can choose to do good. And we're going to talk about in a little while how we would respond to that.

But before we get to any responses, I want to make a positive case because that's important. We should be able to make a positive case for total depravity. If we believe in it, we should be able to make a positive case for it.

What I did was I sat down and I wrote ten passages. Ten passages that I believe without a doubt prove man's total depravity. And these are all from the New Testament. I also have three from the Old Testament.

And there are more than thirteen passages. But these are, like if somebody said, can you prove to me total depravity? I would go to one place. I would go to Romans 3, and that's where we're going to start.

But I want to show you that Romans 3 is not within a vacuum. It sits within a larger context of Scripture. But if you will open up your Bibles, and our first passage will be Romans chapter 3. If you know anything about Romans, you'll know that Romans 3 comes right after Romans 2.

Come on, that's a good joke. No, but the point of that is Romans chapter 1 is intended to tell us that men are wicked because of their rebellion against God and their idolatry. And Romans 1 points to the wickedness of the Gentiles primarily, because in Romans 2 it focuses on the Jews.

And then when you get to Romans 3 verse 9, he combines it and he says, 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.

So the whole first two chapters of Romans have been about trying to show, Paul is showing that everyone, Jew and Gentile, is under sin. We've already charged that both Jew and Gentile are all under sin.

And then he begins to quote Scripture, beginning at verse 10. Paul quotes several Scripture passages in a row. And he begins, as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. So stop right there.

How many are righteous? How many? Not one. That's important. Because one of the things we're going to see later when we look at the objections to this doctrine, one of the first objections that the Arminian will say, Well, wait a minute, there are people in the Bible that are called righteous.

And if you can't understand how to harmonize that and understand the context of both of those, then you won't be able to give an answer to that objection. So the first thing that we need to see from Romans 3 is that none is righteous, no, not one.

Could he have said it any more clear? None is righteous, no, not one. And then he goes on to say, No one understands, no one seeks for God. You ever heard somebody say, well, that person is just seeking God?

No, they're not. They're seeking all kinds of ways to rebel, but they're not seeking all kinds of ways to be obedient. You say, but they sure do feel like, I feel like they really are seeking after God.

The Bible says no one seeks for God. And, of course, this is within a context as well. After a person is born again, they become a person who desires the things of God. But this is referring to before that.

And prior to being born again, there is no God seeker. And that's literally what it says. There is no God seeker. All have turned aside. How many have turned aside? All. 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.

Their paths, in their paths, are ruin and misery. In the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes. Verse 18 is the real nail that drives it home. Because if you think about this, what's the beginning of knowledge?

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, the Proverbs tells us. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, as we are told. This person has no true wisdom. No true knowledge. Because they have denied the very foundation of the existence of God.

They don't fear God. And this is the natural state of the human soul. This isn't a particularly repugnant individual. This is everyone before regeneration. No, not one, you see. No one can say, I was never depraved.

No one can say, I was never a part of this group. You can say, I'm saved now. I once was lost, but now I'm found. I once was dead, but now I live. Right? That's the whole point. Because before then, you was this.

This was you. I remember this. That's a thing. I remember it. I remember when I didn't fear God. I remember when the only things in my life that mattered were the lust of the flesh, the pride of my eyes, and the desire for possessions.

Isn't that what the Bible says? It's the very things that the natural man wants. The lust of the flesh, the pride of the eyes, and the pride of possessions. The want of possessions. All I wanted was what I could have.

Who I could have. And I wanted it my way. This is the natural state of natural man. And he doesn't fear God, and he doesn't seek for God. I've got nine more. I should probably hurry. But this one here, again, this is proof to me.

And remember what Paul's doing. He's quoting Scripture. He's showing this is nothing new. This is Old Testament. And it still is true as it was before. So, I call that ruined, rebellious, and unrighteous.

That's what we see in Romans 3. Ruined, rebellious, and unrighteous. That's who we are. Ruined, rebellious, and unrighteous. Now, the second one is in Ephesians chapter 2. And let's make a quick run over there.

We're going to look at all of these as quickly as we can. And I'll make these as... What's the word? Brief. That's not a word I'm accustomed to. I'll make these as brief as I can. Ephesians 2, verses 1 to 3.

Again, if I were asked to stand in a court and testify to the depravity of man, I would start in Romans 3, but then I would quickly run to Ephesians 2. Because Ephesians 2, in speaking to the Christian, it says,.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work, and the sons of disobedience, among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind.

What are we? We are children of wrath. Who is children of wrath? All mankind, it says. By nature, children of wrath. So not only are we ruined, rebellious, and unrighteous, we are dead in sin and we are children of wrath.

And that's just two. Now, the next one I won't have you turn there just for the sake of time, but if you want to write it down, the next one is John 6, 44, and verse 65. It's John 6, 44, and 65. And the reason why I'm giving you two verses is because they both say the same thing, and Jesus is speaking.

And by the way, a lot of people say, well, I don't know about old Paul. I don't want to hear what Paul has to say. I want to hear what Jesus has to say. And if you think Jesus and Paul disagree, you are wrong.

Because it's all the Word of God, and if I have to defend Jesus and Paul as being harmonized, then you're not even in the conversation. You haven't even reached the ability to have the conversation. If you're still there.

You should not think Paul and Jesus disagree. Jesus said in John 6, 44, No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day. I don't have to go there because this is the one I usually start with.

I usually start with this one because as much as Romans 3 and as much as Ephesians 2 prove my point, as I said, a lot of people want to hear what Jesus has to say. And this is what Jesus has to say. No one can.

The word can represents the state of being able to do something. He didn't say no one may. He said no one can. May represents right. Can represents ability. Michael, if you say can I go to the bathroom, I might say certainly you can, but that's not what you want to know.

You want to know may I go. May every English teacher ever say that to you? And the reason what she was doing was she was pointing out the difference between asking for permission or asking about ability.

Certainly you can, but that's not what you're asking. You're asking if you have the permission. Jesus is not saying no one has permission to come to me unless the Father draws him. What he's saying, no one has the ability to come to me unless the Father draws him.

That's what the word can means. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And then in verse 65 he repeats it. And this is why I told you no one can come to me unless he be drawn by, or excuse me, unless it be granted to him by the Father.

So the word granted to him is parallel to the word drawn in chapter 6 verse 44. In verse 44 it says drawn. In chapter 6 verse 65 it says granted. And they're parallel. No one can come to Jesus unless God draws them and grants it to them.

Which means free will is out of the water. Because there's something you can't do without God giving you the ability. If you want to argue your free will, I just killed the argument. Because you said you could do something, and I said you can't do it unless God draws you.

And I'm quoting Jesus, so I think I win. Again, I don't mean to sound sarcastic. Because it's been a lot of years. And over the years you start to sort of settle in until you hear the same arguments over and over.

And it becomes to the point where you're just going listen. Just sit down and listen. Because you haven't thought this through. You haven't thought this through. So he's unable to believe. John 6, 44 and 65.

He's also unable to submit to God's law. That's Romans chapter 8 verse 7. I will ask you to look at that one because that's one a lot of people don't look at. Again, we're running back to Paul as quick as we can because Paul is so good at explaining this.

Romans chapter 8 verse 7 says this. It's talking about the difference between a life that is set on the spirit and a life that is set on the flesh. And listen to what it says about the life set on the flesh.

The mind set on the flesh. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God. For it does not submit to God's law. Indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. What can someone who is in the flesh not do?

Please God. Is that what it says? Is faith pleasing to God? It's the first and only thing because the Bible says without faith it is impossible to please Him. That's in Hebrews. So hear it again. Can a person in the flesh please God?

Is faith pleasing to God? So can a person in the flesh exercise faith? No. They have to be made spiritual. That's why Jesus said unless you be born again you will not enter the kingdom of God. Because spiritual rebirth is necessary for faith.

So Romans 8, 7 and 8 to me again just blows it out of the water. There is something you can't do. You can't exercise faith. Why? Because you are dead in sin. Ephesians 2. So we have said we are unable to believe, we are unable to submit.

1 Corinthians 2 .14. I won't make you turn there. The next one, this is number 5. You are unable to receive spiritual things. Do you know what it says? It says to the natural man the things of God are foolishness.

He is unable to accept them. 1 Corinthians 2 .14. The natural man receives not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness to him. 1 Corinthians 2 .14. Number 6 You are an enemy of God. Romans 5 .1 tells us that because it said therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with God.

Why do you have peace with God? Because you didn't have it before. Therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with God. What did we have before? Enmity. Verse 10. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more now that we are reconciled shall we be saved by His life.

We were enemies of God. And we were slaves to sin. John 8 .34. Slaves to sin. Jesus said that. By the way, that kind of again kicks free will out because free will is all about freedom. Jesus said if you sin you are slave to sin.

Slave. Yes. Romans 5 .1 and 10. Chapter 5 .1 tells us that we are at peace. Chapter 5 .10 tells us that we were enemies. So those two go together. I have three more verses about depravity from the New Testament.

If you want to write them down. Luke 18 .18 and 19. That one tells us we are not good. You say well that one is kind of as bad as you done said. Not good seems kind of not that bad. But think about it though in the context.

The rich young ruler runs to Jesus and he says Good teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said why do you call me good? There is none good but God. Next time somebody tells you they are a good person.

Say Luke 18 .18 says you are wrong. As Jesus said there is none good. Luke 11 .13 says not only are we not good but we are evil. Evil. Remember the word depravity means wicked. Also means evil. You know what the verse says there though.

Luke 11 .13 is talking about fathers. It says if you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will the father give gifts to those who trust in him. But you notice Jesus couldn't even say that without adding the statement.

You are evil. He couldn't just say if you fathers know how to give good gifts. How much better would God give good gifts. He said no if you who are evil know how to give good gifts. Jesus in describing fathers in general.

Even the ones who do good to their sons. Are unrighteous when you compare them to God. That's the point. That's the point of all this. You say I don't feel very wicked. Put yourself on a scale between you and God.

See the problem is the reason why we don't feel unrighteous is we compare ourselves to other people. And when you compare yourself to other people. You can always find some wretch that you feel a little bit better than.

But when you compare yourself to Jesus Christ. You are not even standing on the same platform. And the tenth one is John 3 .20. We hate the light. We hate the light. Don't want to come to the light. Why?

Because we hate it. So all of those are just. I mean and I'm telling you that's just some. But that's ten verses from the New Testament that describe man's condition. Now I'm going to give you three from the Old Testament.

I'm going to. Again don't put your pens away too quick. I'm going to give you three from the Old Testament. Genesis chapter 6 verse 5. This is right before the flood. You know why God sent the flood? Because the only intention of his heart was only evil continuously.

That's what it says. It says the intention of man's heart was only evil continuously. You say well after the flood he got better. No because in chapter 8 verse 21 it said he was still wicked. He was just not going to judge him with water anymore.

Next time it's going to be with fire. But just because the flood happened didn't mean he washed all the wicked away. Jeremiah 17 .9 tells us the heart is wicked. The heart is desperately wicked. Who can know it?

People always say oh follow your heart. You better not. Your heart is desperately wicked. And Jeremiah 13 .23 tells us our very nature is wicked. Jeremiah 13 .23. And it uses the example of the leopard and the Ethiopian.

It said the leopard can't change his spots. Neither can the Ethiopian change his skin. How then can you who are accustomed to evil do righteous? See it talks about our problem. Problem is what? That we're accustomed to it.

It's what we do. Yes. Okay. I got ruined rebellion and unrighteous is 1. Dead in sin is 2. Unable to believe is 3. Unable to submit is 4. Unable to receive spiritual things is 5. Enemy of God 6. Slave of sin 7.

Not good 8. Evil 9. And hates the light is 10. Oh. I tell you what I'll do for the sake of time. I'll just give you a copy of this. I put all on one sheet tonight. I'm going to try to do this each week.

And I'll be happy to just give it to you. No. This is mine. You got yours. I have. I got my worksheet too. My favorite times to preach is when I only have one page. On Sunday morning I bring more with me because I usually spend so much time studying.

I have a lot more to say. But when I preach off of one page it's very freeing. My goal is to get to where I can preach without notes at all. But the Lord has yet to release that tether. Ian Murray said this.

He said, To teach men that they possess the ability to turn from sin when they choose to do so is to hide the true extent of their need. That's what most people teach. Sure you can turn from sin whenever you choose to do so.

Rather than God must give you the ability. Now. I'm going to ask for two more minutes. And then I'm going to take four. I know it's times away from us. But let me finish this. Because again I've got it planned for the next few weeks.

I don't want to go over. What passages are usually used to deny total depravity? What passages are usually... And I'm not asking you. I'm going to give you the answer. I'm just saying this is the question.

What passages are usually used to deny total depravity? I'm going to give you two thoughts. Number one. Any passage which places a choice before man is often used to deny total depravity. For instance.

Jeremiah 24 14 says what? Choose this day whom you will serve. But as for my house we will serve the Lord. We know Jeremiah 24 14. It's on a lot of plaques and people's houses and stuff. Joshua. I said Jeremiah.

Thank you brother. Joshua 24 14. Choose this day whom you will serve. But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. And they say see that's man being given a choice. And if he has a choice then he must have a free will.

That's not true. I'll prove it to you. All men are commanded to obey God. No man. No Calvinist denies that. All men are commanded to obey God. But the problem with the assumption of the Arminian is this.

That if God commands us to do it we must have the ability to do it. That's their overriding assumption. If God commands us to do it we must have the ability to do it. And I've heard Layton Flowers. I've heard a lot of guys who argue against Calvinism.

That's their point. But the thing is before I go any further. Remember that was the point of Pelagius. The heretic of the 5th century who argued with Augustine. If God commands it we must have the ability to do it.

What was Augustine's response? No we must rely upon God to do it. I'll give you proof. If you want proof. Matthew 5 .48 Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. That's a command. That's in the imperative.

You can't do that. And yet it's a command. Don't tell me God won't command something you can't do. He gave you 10 commandments you couldn't keep. The reason why God gives us commands that we can't keep.

Is to demonstrate our radical inability. And our absolute dependence upon Him. If we could do it ourselves we wouldn't need Him. So that's the first thing. If they'll say well what about this passage that makes man have a choice.

What about that passage that makes man have a choice. All men have a choice. But apart from the grace of God all men will choose poorly. That's the point of total depravity. Apart from the grace of God every man will choose against God.

And last. And this is the last thing. As I said there were two types of passages. One any man having the opportunity to give a choice. They'll say well there's the passage that proves total depravity is wrong.

It doesn't prove total depravity is wrong. It proves you misunderstood it. But the other thing that they will often cite is any passage that names a man as righteous. They'll say see they're righteous men.

Noah was called a righteous man. Abraham was called a righteous man. And hey aren't believers called righteous? You're either wicked or righteous. And when you become a believer you're righteous. What we need to understand is that the word righteous when it is used in that sense.

Is being used one of two ways. Righteousness is a declaration of God. That is imputed to us because of the righteousness of Christ. Therefore when you are called righteous as a believer. It's not because you are righteous.

But it is because you have been declared righteous by God. That's what the definition of justification is. And the apostle Paul says that. He said I stand having a righteousness not of my own. Which comes from keeping the law.

But a righteousness which comes through faith in Jesus Christ. Why? Because it's the righteousness of Christ. So if anyone is called righteous in scripture. It's either because they are being. It's talking about their imputed righteousness.

Or it's a comparative term. And this term is used comparatively. Such as in the case of Noah. What does the Bible say about Noah? He was righteous among his generation. You see Noah. The word righteous there is comparing Noah to the men of his day.

It is not saying Noah was without sin. You want to know what Noah had? Sin. You want to know how I know that? Because he was a man. And because the Bible says he found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Why would he need grace if he wasn't a sinner?

What was the first thing Noah did when he came off the ark? Foolishly got drunk. To the point that he embarrassed himself. Noah wasn't righteous in the sense of perfect. No one is but God. Jesus tells us.

Why do you call me good? A few years ago. There was a minister. Who was asked to do a funeral for a wicked man. And the brother of the wicked man. Wanted the minister to say something good about his brother.