Total Depravity and Why It Matters

Before we ever comprehend the grace of God, not that we could ever fully comprehend it, we must reckon with the wickedness of man. The cherished doctrines of grace are firmly anchored in a robust understanding of the doctrine of the depravity of man, total depravity as it were.

Terminology matters and we’ll not shy away from traditional terminology as some have chosen to do for the sake of clarity. Clarity demands either this or, for us, a clearly defined set of terms, understanding that theologians have oftentimes applied different labels to the same ideas.

Origins of Sin

We cannot examine the doctrine of depravity without first investigating its origin, for in its origin, we find a better grasp of its nuances. Anyone familiar with the issue will know where we’re headed. The proof text for the origin of sin we find in Paul’s letter to the Romans.

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.

Romans 5:12

The one man sinned, Adam, and through his sin, both sin and death entered into the world, death being the judgement for sin. Why did death, that is judgement, spread to all men? Paul answers the question, “because all sinned.” Recognize for starters, that Paul wrote this prior to countless legions of people even being born. How on earth did we sin? The answer is in the grammar. The Greek word translated “sinned” is in the aorist indicative tense, a historical aorist tense, indicating a one-time completed action. Had Paul desired to speak to the individual sins committed and still being committed by people, he would have used either the imperfect (past) or present tense, but he didn’t. He is referring to the sin of Adam, that in Adam, all sinned.

Adam is our federal head. That is, he is the representative of all men and when Adam sinned, it is as if the rest of us did as well. His sin is imputed to us, transferred to us, credited to our account. Whether this is fair or not is beyond the scope of this work but suffice it to say that no one questions the fairness of Christ serving as the representative for redeemed humanity and having our sin imputed to Him as His righteousness is imputed to us.

Original Sin

When most people think of original sin, they think of the first sin committed by the man. In reality, original sin has two aspects to it, guilt and corruption, that in Adam, all men inherit a guilty verdict and a sin nature, a propensity to sin.

1. Guilt. Let’s address the legal aspect of original sin, our guilt. I like the term original guilt, sometimes called imputed sin or inherited sin. Adam was guilty of sin and received the judgement of death and as Romans 5:12 makes clear above, because all sinned in Adam, all have received the same judgement of death. Verses 18 and 19 firm this up. Paul writes that “through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men,” and that “through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners.”

One chapter later, he writes, “For the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23a) The wages, the result of our sin, is death. That all men die is the evidence for the universality of our guilty verdict. David speaks to both aspects of original sin in Psalm 51 writing, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.” (verse 5) This verse doesn’t speak to David’s mother, but to David, as he repents of his sin with Bathsheba and here, laments his sin condition. Before he had done anything, at conception, he was “in iniquity, and in sin.” He was guilty, having inherited sin, original guilt as it were.

2. Corruption. David’s lament points us to the other aspect of original sin, that of our corruption, often called original corruption or original pollution. David laments “The wicked are estranged from the womb; These who speak lies go astray from birth.” (Psalm 58:3) We are estranged from God in the womb, as we’ve inherited a guilty verdict and a corrupted, sinful nature. As we are born, we lack much capacity to commit sins though I can see sin even in my young grandchildren. We go astray from birth and as we grow, we grow in our capacity to commit sins. A natural question pertains to the salvation of babies and young children though that is beyond the scope of this work.

A Heart Problem

Berkhof refers to the heart as “the central organ of the soul”. (174) The heart is the seat of emotion and will and in our sin, we have a heart problem. We’re born with it.

Solomon writes, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) The condition of our heart is a matter of great importance and Jeremiah reminds us, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick.” (Jeremiah 17:9) Our hearts have been completely and irreversibly corrupted by sin. “Who can understand it [the heart]?” Jeremiah laments. (verse 9b)

This sin condition of our hearts governs our very being. Paul reminds us that we are “dead in our trespasses and sin,” that we are, “by nature children of wrath”. (Ephesians 2:1-3) We are “darkened in our understanding…because of the hardness of their [our] heart” (Ephesians 4:17-19) We are not sick with sin, struggling with sin, afflicted by sin; we are dead in our sin.

1. The problem is universal.

Solomon writes, “that there is one fate for all [emphasis mine] men,” that “the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives.” As he concludes with finality, “Afterwards they go to the dead.” (Ecclesiastes 9:3) Paul draws the same conclusion:

There is none righteous, not even one;

There is none who understands,

There is none who seeks for God;

All have turned aside, together they have become useless;

There is none who does good,

There is not even one.

Romans 3:10-12

It is impossible to miss the universal scope of Paul’s conclusions. A few verses later, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Returning to the 5th chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans, we see that death spread to all men. Every single person born receives the guilty verdict and the inherited corruption of original sin.

2. The problem is irreversible.

“Try harder. Do better. Be good.” This is the mantra of many in not just the pagan culture of the day, but even within the modern church. The problem is, we lack the capacity in our sin. We lack the will.

Job testifies, “Who can make the clean out of the unclean? No one!” (Job 14:4) Jeremiah asks rhetorically, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?” (Jeremiah 13:23a) The answer is obviously a resounding “no”. The guilty sinner is unable to affect his condition in any way and really, wouldn’t even want to. The uncomfortable fact is that guilty sinners like being sinners and have no desire to follow God whatsoever.

The ways of God are ridiculous, insane, even stupid to the sinner. “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him;” (1 Corinthains 2:14a) There exists a satanic collusion as, “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:4)

The unregenerate man does not recognize his condition, is not even aware of it and wouldn’t care or desire to change his condition, even if that were possible, which of course, it isn’t.

What Do Sinners Do?

It’s simple, but important to get the order right. Because we are born corrupted, with a sin nature, we sin. It’s not that because we commit sins, we are therefore sinners. It’s quite the opposite. Because we are sinners, we sin.

Recall the condition of our natural hearts, completely bent against God. Jesus teaches, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and slanders.” (Matthew 15:19-20) Our sin condition, our wicked hearts, generate fruit and that fruit is wickedness, evil deeds, sins. “The evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.” (Luke 6:45)

And there is no lamentation over sin from the sinner. We may mourn the consequences of our sin or the effects, but not the actual sin itself. In our sin, in our unregenerate condition, the difficult fact is that we like to sin. It’s stronger. “Men loved the darkness rather than the Light,” Jesus tells Nicodemus. “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” (John 3:19-20) We love our sins and hate God and His anointed, Jesus. Scripture says that we are slaves to sin, unable and undesiring to free ourselves.

There is a war between the things of God and the things of the wicked heart, our flesh. “For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another.” (Galatians 5:17a) Our very essence of being is completely opposed to God and the things of God.

This is the first fruit of our sin condition, the committing of sins, sinful acts, lacking any godly remorse. I have the unfortunate privilege of being an adult convert and I distinctly remember my sinful life. I sinned wantonly, only seeking to avoid punishment or consequences, having no regard at all for the ways of God. In fact, just like Scripture says I did, I considered the ways of God absolute foolishness along with anyone who might believe in such nonsense.

What Can Sinners Not Do?

Sinners sin, because they are sinners.

Sinners can never please God, nor would they desire to if they could. It’s not in their free [I’ll use the word] will. Their nature is to sin, to reject God in their sin.

Speaking of the things of God, Paul declares that sinners “cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” (1 Corinthians 2:14b) He cannot. This aspect of total depravity is sometimes called total inability. “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh,” Paul concludes. We have no redeeming qualities, nothing worthy of consideration in the eyes of God. As a matter of fact, Isaiah concludes that “all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment.” (Isaiah 64:6)

Returning to Romans, we find that “those who are according to the flesh [all men] set their minds on the things of the flesh,” that is, sin. (Romans 8:5) “The mind set on the flesh [all minds according to the Bible] is hostile toward God…for it is not even able to do so [submit to God], and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (verse 6-8)

Total depravity is the condition of the unregenerate sinner whereby every aspect of their existence stands in opposition to God, is thoroughly and unchangeably corrupted.

What Can Sinners Do?

Sinners can certainly do good deeds.

I’ve known many unsaved men who were moral, upstanding men of character. My own father was the hardest working man I’ve met. He provided for his family, paid his taxes, sang in the choir etc., but he was unsaved for most of his life, right up until before his death. I worked with another man years ago who was the best man I’ve worked with. He worked hard, cared for his Soldiers, loved them even, and always did the right thing. But, he didn’t know Jesus, and we are told that his righteousness is a filthy rag in the eyes of the Lord.

All good deeds done by the unsaved are tainted by their sin. No matter how good the deeds look externally, no matter how upstanding their character appears to be on the outside, the deeds are corrupted because they spring from a corrupted heart and they can never, nor will they ever merit the favor of God.

Furthermore, no sinner is as bad as they can be all the time. Adolf Hitler had a mother and cared for her in her dying days to the point whereby her Jewish physician noted what a caring son he was. Can you imagine if people were as bad as they could be all the time? Sounds a lot like what hell would be like.

Thankfully, the common grace of God restrains sin. Common grace is found in the preaching of the Gospel. Where the Gospel is preached, things are just better. Common grace exists in the moral law, that God has written his law on the hearts of men. (Romans 2:14-16) Parental upbringing, laws that reflect God’s law, societal standards all serve to restrain sin and are a part of the common grace of God.

What Does It All Mean?

Where does total depravity leave us? What foundation does original sin build in our understanding of the doctrine of the grace of God?

It’s simple.

The depravity of man renders every man or woman ever conceived under the deserved judgement of God…unless God does something. Unless God does something…the sinner is helpless to help themselves and will one day perish in their sins and suffer for all eternity in hell.

Looking ahead to the New Covenant, God says through Ezekiel, “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” There it is. We need a heart change, a new heart. And God promises that He will do exactly that, that He will reach into our chests and remove our hearts of stone and replace them with a heart of flesh. This is the miracle of regeneration.

The Apostle John rests secure in the grace of God based upon the depravity of man. Speaking of salvation, John writes, “But as many received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13) It is the will of God that saves. Nothing more.

In His conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus expounds upon the idea. Unless someone is “born again”, they cannot enter the kingdom of God. (John 3:3) Later, one must be born of the Spirit. (verse 5-7) Here, God acts in the miracle of the second birth, another term for regeneration. I didn’t decide to be born the first time just as I surely didn’t decide to be born a second.

In the 6th chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus brings to bear the full weight of our depravity and its effects upon salvation. “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” (John 6:44) Our sin has driven an impenetrable barrier between us and God, unless it is the Father who draws us to Jesus. Verse 63, “it is the Spirit who gives life”.

But God!

An understanding of the depravity of man magnifies the miracle of salvation and the grace of our Lord Jesus.

We are born guilty with a heart to sin, but God.

We would live our entire lives as rebels against a holy and righteous God, but God.

We could never change, nor would we desire to, but God.

We would deservedly suffer an eternity in hell, but God.

You can guess my favorite words in all of Scripture, “but God”! I imagine they were some of Paul’s favorites as well. He writes:

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ.

Ephesians 2:4-5

The doctrine of the depravity of man clarifies that God is the author of salvation, from eternity past to eternity future. The doctrine of the depravity of man crushes any remnant of pride within the human heart. The doctrine of the depravity of man eliminates any ability of man to boast so that we only boast in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, just as it ought to be. (Galatians 6:14)

This is why getting depravity right matters.