A good way to look for the idea of total depravity in scripture is to look at verses that speak of human corruption. For example, Titus1:15—To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted." The idea of total depravity is simply that human beings, by their very nature, are corrupted by sin and corrupted in their totality. As a human, my sex drive is affected, by reasoning process is affected, my use of language is affected, my sense of priorities, my relationships with family and friends, my politics, my ego, etc., etc. etc. The point of total depravity is not so much that a human being cannot do a random act of goodness. By the grace of God (common grace, that is), he or she can. But like a computer program that is corrupted, we do not work the way we are supposed to and we are incapable ourselves of changing that. I know that some Christians find the idea of total depravity depressing, but I think they are missing the point. As Paul makes clear, the absolute miracle of grace is that God loved us while we were yet sinners. The more we appreciate how broken and hard to love we are, the more we stand in awe of a God who loves us and who loves us so much that he does not count his own son as to dear a price to pay for our redemption.
Langston
Feb 24 2003
05:16 pm
A good way to look for the idea of total depravity in scripture is to look at verses that speak of human corruption. For example, Titus1:15—To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted." The idea of total depravity is simply that human beings, by their very nature, are corrupted by sin and corrupted in their totality. As a human, my sex drive is affected, by reasoning process is affected, my use of language is affected, my sense of priorities, my relationships with family and friends, my politics, my ego, etc., etc. etc. The point of total depravity is not so much that a human being cannot do a random act of goodness. By the grace of God (common grace, that is), he or she can. But like a computer program that is corrupted, we do not work the way we are supposed to and we are incapable ourselves of changing that. I know that some Christians find the idea of total depravity depressing, but I think they are missing the point. As Paul makes clear, the absolute miracle of grace is that God loved us while we were yet sinners. The more we appreciate how broken and hard to love we are, the more we stand in awe of a God who loves us and who loves us so much that he does not count his own son as to dear a price to pay for our redemption.