Is Total Depravity Biblical?
Unfortunately, the answer is YES. The word “depravity” means “moral corruption; wickedness.” Another definition from Christian theology is “the innate corruption of human nature, due to original sin.” We shall see that the Bible clearly teaches us that man is indeed “totally depraved” and that he is unable to make himself “righteous” in God’s sight. We will consider six descriptions of mankind that proves their Total Depravity.
1) Man is “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). The moment Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden he “died spiritually” which means he no longer had fellowship with God nor did he want to. Adam’s sin affected the whole human race so everyone is born “spiritually dead” and needs to be “born again” (see Psalm 51:5 and John 3:3-7).
2) Man has a WICKED HEART. Jeremiah 17:9 confirms this, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it.” Because man’s heart is wicked, we read in Matthew 15:19, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnesses, blasphemies.” The “heart” speaks of man’s “inner being,” his fallen and corrupt “human nature.”
3) Man’s wicked heart is “totally SELF-CENTERED” as we see in Isaiah 53:6, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to HIS OWN WAY.” This means man has “no desire to live according to God’s way.” We are SELFISH and live only to please ourselves.
4) Man’s wicked heart is “at WAR with God.” This is taught in Romans 8:7, “The mind of the flesh is ENMITY AGAINST GOD: for it is not subject to the law of God; for neither indeed can it be” (DARBY). The “flesh” refers to our “fallen human nature” and we learn here that is in “opposition to God.” The solemn truth is before man is “born again” he HATES GOD and REBELS AGAINST HIM.
5) Man’s wicked heart has NO DESIRE TO SEEK GOD or to please Him. Romans 3:10-12 declares, “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is NONE WHO SEEKS AFTER GOD. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.” Because man’s heart is SINFUL, we want nothing to do with God who is HOLY.
6) Man’s wicked heart cannot MAKE ITSELF RIGHTEOUS. We just saw that “there is none righteous, no, not one,” yet men still “try to become righteous.” They become “religious” and pretend to be learning of and seeking after God, but we are told in Isaiah 64:6, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and ALL OUR RIGHTEOUSNESSES ARE LIKE FILTHY RAGS.” Some people try to obey the Ten Commandments to become righteous but Romans 3:20 says, “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh shall be justified in His sight, for by the law if the knowledge of sin.”
So, is there any hope for man? Yes, there is! God has provided a way for the sinner to be “born again” and “righteous,” which then gives him the desire seek Him and to do good in order to please Him. God’s love and grace has provided a SAVIOR for us who can give us “life” and make us “righteous.” God “has sent His Son as Savior of the world” (1st John 4:14) and when Jesus came into the world He said, “I have come that they may have LIFE” (John 10:10). He went to the cross to become an offering for our sins so we could become RIGHTEOUS. We read of this in 2nd Corinthians 5:21, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the RIGHEOUSNESS of God in Him.” If you believe this good news, you will have LIFE (see John 3:14-16) and be RIGHTEOUS (see Romans 3:21-26) and you will no longer be totally depraved! (DO) (512.1)