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Total Depravity

by Henry Miranda
4/26/2023 / Bible Studies

The doctrine of total depravity asserts that as a result of the fall people are not inclined or even able to love God wholly with their heart, mind, and strength, but rather are inclined by nature to serve their own will, desires and to reject his rule.

Depravity is the Biblical teaching that humanity since the Fall has inherited both the guilt and sinful nature of Adam in such a way that absolutely everything about them is affected by sin. As a consequence of man's fall, every person born into the world is enslaved to the service of sin as a result of their fallen nature and, apart from the efficacious (irresistible) or prevenient (enabling) grace of God, is completely unable to choose by themselves to follow God or refrain from evil.

Rebellion is opposition to authority. It always begins in the heart. Rebellion against God’s authority was humanity’s first sin and continues to be its downfall. Our sinful nature does not want to bow to the authority of another, even God. We want to be our own bosses, and that rebellion in the human heart is the root of all sin (Romans 3:23).

Because of the fall of Adam, everyone is born with a sinful nature; wicked or immoral. Christian doctrine holds that humanity, through birth, inherits a tainted nature with a proclivity to sinful conduct.

The sinful nature is described in Galatians 5:19-26 (NKJV), “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”

The sinful nature is the reason why most people are going to go to Hell. All mankind sins as soon as they are capable of moral action. The secular world we live in today promotes rebellion. People don’t want to listen to authority. People want to be the god of their own lives; in rebellion against God.

Jesus didn’t die for your sins so you can live in rebellion and spit on God’s grace. The, “we’re all sinners” excuse does not justify living in darkness. The dead can’t raise themselves. In the same way, there is nothing a fallen man can do to save himself. He is absolutely helpless. He can’t expect his rational mind to help him overcome moral or spiritual corruption. His thoughts, his will and emotions are not naturally directed toward God. In a strictly theological sense, he is “totally depraved.” He bears the stain of sin in every part of his being.

There are many ways to live in rebellion such as living a lifestyle of sin, refusing God’s calling, trusting ourselves rather than trusting in the Lord, being unforgiving, and more. In 1 Samuel 15:23, God said rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. Rebellion is an attitude displayed to contradict the authority and it started from the beginning of Creation. When God created Adam and Eve, He put them in the Garden of Eden and gave them instructions on what to do and what not to do.

Now, because of the fall of man, and because of this act of disobedience all mankind have a sinful nature. Romans 5:12 (NKJV) says; “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because all have sinned.” We all possess a sinful nature that we inherited from Adam. Whether we like it or not, that is the way it is! We are all born sinners and must die because we come from Adam.

The first man who disobeyed God's commandment is our forefather and we are just like him. Who among us can say he has never disobeyed the commandments of God? Not a single one of us! Like a horrible contagious disease, the sin that was in Adam has spread to us all just as an epidemic is not confined to the one from whom it originates.

What exactly is sin anyway? The truth is that sin, as defined in the original translations of the Bible, means "to miss the mark." The mark, in this case, is the standard of perfection established by God and evidenced by Jesus. Viewed in that light, it is clear that we are all sinners. The good news in all of this is that once we recognize ourselves as sinners, we need to only repent and embrace Jesus to be forgiven.

Jesus can forgive us because He died and rose again three days later in victory over sin and death. Sin caused man's separation from God. However, God loves us so much that He provides for us the way back into good fellowship with Him through Jesus Christ. His steadfast love and kindness leads us back to repentance, and in His grace and mercy forgives us of all our sins even though none of us deserves this forgiveness. No one can earn forgiveness and reconciliation with God. It is a free gift to those who believe and accept it by faith. Sin is an offense or rebellion against God. It is what separates us from God.

Remember that to stay in a state of rebellion is death. The devil stays busy at work keeping us in sin and away from God. Yet, those who continue to live in this state of rebellion against God have not lost their opportunity to be God's child. All they need do is to repent. We don't have to sin. We sin by choice. You must want to serve God with all your heart, body, and soul to stay away from sin. A desire to sin is simply a way of expressing your disbelief that God's way is best. God gave us free will and we must decide on our own how we want to lead our life.

The world's way was easy, and we fell into its trap. The world is good at presenting a great and enticing illusion of its goodness. God gave us the choice to either serve Him or the prince of this world, the devil. There is no excuse for sin. Man has always had the opportunity to know God and do His will according to the light of nature and conscience. From the very first sin, it has been a matter of willfulness. No one can say, "I could not help it." Remember that, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13.

Evangelist Henry Miranda earned a Bachelor of Christian Ministry degree @ Christian Leadership University. Evangelist Henry Miranda is a Bible Teacher, Author, and Guest Speaker and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, has written ten books. You can reach @ //www.evangelize-for-jesus-ministries.co

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