Faith and humility can be rare characteristics in our world of highly successful and competent overachievers. Who are the stars of our culture but those who are the fastest in sports, the smartest in education, the most persuasive in politics, the richest in business, the most beautiful in Hollywood and most charismatic in religion? To promote humility in particular can be a tough sell to say the least. To proclaim that modern man has sin is even more daunting.
Not too many Christians however would argue against the truth that man has sin and is in need of salvation in Christ. That is the essence of our faith. But it's not certain how many would believe that mankind is sinful, that we really are full of sin, in every aspect of our beings. In our thoughts, intents, desires, purposes, goals, works, and in our hearts, we have sin in all parts of life. This is what is meant by being full of sin, or being sinful. It is being depraved, and in Reformed Theology it is described as being totally depraved. And if it's tough to sell sin, it is even more difficult to sell total depravity.
The essence of the doctrine of total depravity is that we not only have sinful actions in our lives but we have a sinful nature. This means that we are sinful in our essence, it is who we are in reality, we are not "good" people in God's eyes. Jesus taught the rich young ruler in Mt 19:17, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but One, that is, God." By this Jesus meant that in a Spiritual aspect no one is good in comparison to God who is holy. In our earthly estimations we may seem to have some goodness in our human nature, but in the heavenly evaluation Jesus is telling us we are not good but sinful in our essence.
This truth may not inspire many people to praise but to the contrary it often agitates or angers people to rebellion. For me it was a watershed revelation in my faith to realize I wasn't just sick and need of help, I was Spiritually dead with no hope of my own. I believe all people are totally depraved as we all die, we all fall short of the glory of God, we even sin involuntarily as it is in our nature, it is not just something we learn. This truth inspired me to love God more because of his grace in Christ, and because I then realized my salvation was not dependent upon me.
The good news of salvation in Christ is that there is no goodness in man and we can only find salvation therefore from Christ. Unfortunately many Christians teach that mankind is not really that bad, we are a little bit good. We are not really sinful, we only have some sin, or we are hiding, and we are sick, or that we need help in our efforts to be good. But to truly embrace the salvation of Christ we must be honest with the truth of total depravity.
John the Baptist was the forerunner to Jesus and said it well in Luke 3:7, "Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, 'Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?'" Brood of vipers? What kind of evangelistic outreach is this? Is this the language of self-help empowerment? Is it a positive spin on a glass half full? Later Jesus described John in Luke 7:28, "For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." Certainly John spoke the truth of God that we all are "a brood of vipers." We all are sinful and even evil in our hearts. But when we realize this truth it humbles us to our core, it causes us to fall prostrate on our face before the Lord.
Total depravity is good news for without this truth we would be deceived that we don't need salvation, or that we are at least a little good, and that we could depend on that goodness to create our own theology or our own salvation. This doctrine is one of the most important truths for the faith, preservation and the health of the church. We are not good in any aspect of our beings and we must call upon Christ alone for salvation. And if we call upon the risen Jesus he will give us new Spiritual life that is truly good indeed.
Not too many Christians however would argue against the truth that man has sin and is in need of salvation in Christ. That is the essence of our faith. But it's not certain how many would believe that mankind is sinful, that we really are full of sin, in every aspect of our beings. In our thoughts, intents, desires, purposes, goals, works, and in our hearts, we have sin in all parts of life. This is what is meant by being full of sin, or being sinful. It is being depraved, and in Reformed Theology it is described as being totally depraved. And if it's tough to sell sin, it is even more difficult to sell total depravity.
The essence of the doctrine of total depravity is that we not only have sinful actions in our lives but we have a sinful nature. This means that we are sinful in our essence, it is who we are in reality, we are not "good" people in God's eyes. Jesus taught the rich young ruler in Mt 19:17, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but One, that is, God." By this Jesus meant that in a Spiritual aspect no one is good in comparison to God who is holy. In our earthly estimations we may seem to have some goodness in our human nature, but in the heavenly evaluation Jesus is telling us we are not good but sinful in our essence.
This truth may not inspire many people to praise but to the contrary it often agitates or angers people to rebellion. For me it was a watershed revelation in my faith to realize I wasn't just sick and need of help, I was Spiritually dead with no hope of my own. I believe all people are totally depraved as we all die, we all fall short of the glory of God, we even sin involuntarily as it is in our nature, it is not just something we learn. This truth inspired me to love God more because of his grace in Christ, and because I then realized my salvation was not dependent upon me.
The good news of salvation in Christ is that there is no goodness in man and we can only find salvation therefore from Christ. Unfortunately many Christians teach that mankind is not really that bad, we are a little bit good. We are not really sinful, we only have some sin, or we are hiding, and we are sick, or that we need help in our efforts to be good. But to truly embrace the salvation of Christ we must be honest with the truth of total depravity.
John the Baptist was the forerunner to Jesus and said it well in Luke 3:7, "Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, 'Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?'" Brood of vipers? What kind of evangelistic outreach is this? Is this the language of self-help empowerment? Is it a positive spin on a glass half full? Later Jesus described John in Luke 7:28, "For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." Certainly John spoke the truth of God that we all are "a brood of vipers." We all are sinful and even evil in our hearts. But when we realize this truth it humbles us to our core, it causes us to fall prostrate on our face before the Lord.
Total depravity is good news for without this truth we would be deceived that we don't need salvation, or that we are at least a little good, and that we could depend on that goodness to create our own theology or our own salvation. This doctrine is one of the most important truths for the faith, preservation and the health of the church. We are not good in any aspect of our beings and we must call upon Christ alone for salvation. And if we call upon the risen Jesus he will give us new Spiritual life that is truly good indeed.
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