FROM: Banbury, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
ABOUT ME: Living the highs and lows of life in the adventurous pursuit of God Himself and of who I'm meant to be as the Bride of Christ.
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Wednesday, December 31, 2008,7:43 p.m.
TOTAL DEPRAVITY (BUT GLORIOUS RESCUE)
I have been thinking lately about man's total depravity. "Total depravity" as a phrase is most commonly used in John Calvin's TULIP theology - it is what defines the "T" in this five-part explanation of Christianity. Though I must say that I do not hold with Calvin's theology per se, the idea of total depravity is something that I am truly understanding more and more.
The concept of the total depravity of man states that man is innately sinful. Man is born sinful; it is his nature. I don't know many who would disagree with this regardless of the theology to which one holds. Romans 3:9-18 makes very clear that we are all unrighteous outside of the hand of God:
What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes."
I think I have most often thought of this passage as one that refers to a nature that is "pre-salvation". But of late I have come to recognize that without God as an active part of our lives, we are still, indeed, depraved. I do not have the right focus without Him. I do not have the correct motives without Him. I do not even have the ability to love or be obedient or serve without His Spirit. Indeed, without Him I am everything that defines depraved in a human being.
The thought that remains beautiful in this pondering of depravity is the knowledge that God redeems. He redeems my life - buys it back from the state in which I was even born. He redeems my poor decisions and He even redeems my shortcomings. It is by grace - grace that I have done nothing to deserve, yet He delights to give so that we can be together. It is a glorious rescue indeed.
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:1-5)
The concept of the total depravity of man states that man is innately sinful. Man is born sinful; it is his nature. I don't know many who would disagree with this regardless of the theology to which one holds. Romans 3:9-18 makes very clear that we are all unrighteous outside of the hand of God:
What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes."
I think I have most often thought of this passage as one that refers to a nature that is "pre-salvation". But of late I have come to recognize that without God as an active part of our lives, we are still, indeed, depraved. I do not have the right focus without Him. I do not have the correct motives without Him. I do not even have the ability to love or be obedient or serve without His Spirit. Indeed, without Him I am everything that defines depraved in a human being.
The thought that remains beautiful in this pondering of depravity is the knowledge that God redeems. He redeems my life - buys it back from the state in which I was even born. He redeems my poor decisions and He even redeems my shortcomings. It is by grace - grace that I have done nothing to deserve, yet He delights to give so that we can be together. It is a glorious rescue indeed.
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:1-5)
