“What Does Depravity Mean?”

 

“What does depravity mean?” It’s a tough question that, at the very least, confuses many people. But at the same time it’s an important question. So, for the first in a series of five articles I’ve called “5 Words You Should Know”, I thought I’d tackle it.

In this series of articles we’ll be defining and exploring 5 key theological words that are essential for us, as followers of Jesus, to know and get our heads around, in order to understand our God, His Word, and how to live lives that bring glory to Him.

We’re kicking off the series on a low note. The word depravity is not used much these days and subsequently the doctine of depravity is not well known or taught despite the Scriptural evidence for it being virtually on every page of the Bible.

To The Point:

Depravity is the word used to descibe fallen man’s inabililty to contribute anything to his salvation.

This is best summed up by Jesus Himself who said;

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44)

It’s a hard word for the ego and this doctrine is well resisted by many primarily for that reason, but through this article I hope to bring some of the Scriptural evidence to light and show the importance of this doctine and some of it’s practical outworkings in our lives.

Let’s go to Genesis (coz everything begins in Genesis).

On the sixth day God made man and made him in His own image. Man’s purpose was to multiply, subdue the earth and have dominion over creation for the good of the kingdom, and through these activites reflect the glory and goodness of his Creator. (Gen 1:26)

Now due to his being made in God’s image, man had an inherent obligation to love, serve, and perfectly obey his Creator and because of his nature at that time, he was able to do this. Early Latin theologians spoke of four stages of man that explains this well.

The first stage, the stage of innocence, man was in state of being “able not to sin” (or, in Latin, posse non peccare). This means there was no inner bent toward wickedness that existed in the human soul.

The next stage is the fall, where man became “not able to not sin” (non posse non pecarre) where the indwelling inclination to sin is dominant and unable to be resisted. This is the current state of unbelievers today.

Through the death, burial, and resurection of Jesus, those in Christ are now once again in a state of “able (through His grace) not to sin” (posse non peccare) – though at times we mess up and fail.

Finally, once in heaven, in our glorified bodies, we will be “not able to sin” (non posse peccare) because then we will be perfectly conformed to the image of Christ.

Now in this initial state of innocence, although sinless, man did possess the ability to sin and through the prompting of Satan, that’s what our first parents did. This sin removed man from fellowship with God through implanting a sin nature and a natural proclivity to do evil and shun good (Rom 1:18-25). This state of seperation and fallenness is known as spiritual death. No part remains untouched and uneffected by sin. We are completely, thoroughly sinful and fallen. While man is in this state, he cannot be reconnected to God coz sin and holiness just don’t mix.

Here’s what the Bible says: (emphasis added)

 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience– among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. (Eph 2:1-3)

 

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, (Col 2:13)

 

Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. (Rom. 6:13)

 

For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. (Rom 8:7)

 

So, being spiritually dead, man is unable to do anything to make himself alive. Left to himself he is unable to spiritually and psychologically respond to the call of God, the Gospel, and turn, love God, and be reconnected. This is depravity.

To overcome this, our sin has to be paid for, we must be declared righteous and a new heart has to be given to us, a heart that loves God, seeks God and hates sin. This is done for us by the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

Through our faith in Jesus and what He has done, (this faith is also given to us by God Heb 12:2) God enables this regeneration of a fallen human and brings them into fellowship with Himself to spend eternity in His presence away from sin and all it’s effects.

Now this can be controversial, and some will speak against this and offer up objections. Here’s some common ones and a short response. (In the interests of space, I’ve only put the Scripture references but I encourage you to follow up with them for further background.)

Objection #1 – Man isn’t that sinful

Yes we are.

(Ps 130:3; 143:2, Rom 3:9-12 Gal 3:22 Eph 2:3 Job 15:14 Ecc 7:20 Jer 17:9 Mar 7:21-23 John 3:19 Rom 8:7,8 Titus 3:3)

Objection #2 – All who hear the gospel can savingly believe

This ability to hear and believe is not a natural, universal ability. It is God who, through the Holy Spirit , interacts with the hearts, eyes and minds of people, opening and allowing them to receive the Gospel.

(Matt 13:11-12 Phil 1:9 Acts 16:14-15)

Objection #3 – We have free will and can choose whether or not to accept the gift of salvation.

I would agree that we have free will and make a decision of the will toward salvation but I would ask, who made us willing? The Bible clearly says none of us naturally seek after God (Rom 3:11) so this willingness must come from outside ourselves. Phillipians 2:13 tells us it is God who works in us to make us both will and work for His good pleasure. So, salvation is an interplay between our will and the Holy Spirit where He takes the initiative – calling, inspiring, and empowering us toward Himself.

If any part of our salvation depended solely upon us we would have grounds for boasting and Scripture clearly says salvation was deliberately set up to leave us with no room to boast.

(Eph 2:8-9)

 

Meditating upon the doctrine of depravity in a personal way four thoughts spring to mind.

1. When you let it sink into your heart you can’t help but be moved and lifted in praise of God’s grace. That He would reach so far down to lift up someone so helpless in their sin is mindblowing and a beautiful picture of the Father’s love.

2. There is also enormous comfort in knowing that you were in state of total wickedness and hostility toward God when He saved you because if He could save you from that, then nothing you can do now can put you out of His reach.

3. This doctrine brings us to a place of total dependence on God and not on ourselves, teaching us trust and humility.

4. To hold an opposing position and to say that salvation is in some measure based on man’s effort is to rob God of the glory that is due Him. It’s all for Him and all about Him, not us.

 

Recommended Reading:

• Man’s Total Depravity – Arthur W. Pink

• Know The Truth – Bruce Milne

• Holiness – J.C. Ryle

 

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Last 5 posts by Steve

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