TOTAL DEPRAVITY

     Man, in his unregenerate state, is totally depraved. Some do not believe this; they say that there is some good quality in every man -- a good principle that, if cultivated, would lead him to be a better man. Let us see what God thinks about it.

     Hear Him testify of man shortly after the fall, and if this was His opinion then, it must be the same now.

     Hear it: "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Gen. 6:5). And again, "For the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth" (Gen. 8:21).

     Hear David's opinion of man -- of himself. "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did, my mother conceive me" (Psa. 51:5). And again, "The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking (acting) lies" (Psa. 58:3).

     Isaiah got a glimpse of man without grace and he declared that the whole man was sick and from the sole of his foot even unto his head there was no "soundness" In him; but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores, that had not been "closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment" (Isa. 1:6).

     Jeremiah exclaimed, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil" (Jer. 13:23). Just as utterly impossible for the unregenerate man to please God in all his behavior, as it is for an Ethiopian to become a white man, or a leopard to rid himself of his spots.

     In Romans 7, Paul describes the unregenerate man trying to satisfy his own conscience and meet the approval of God and in verse 21 he says, "When I would do good, evil is present with me." And again, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh), dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would, I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me" (verses 18-20).

     "Any state of human nature which comes short of that moral perfection and divine image which God bestowed when He created man, must be regarded as a fallen state and if so, coming short of that righteousness which the perfect law requires. If then, a want of the divine image which consists in righteousness and true holiness, constitutes a fallen or depraved state, it is evident that man does not by nature now possess this divine image."

     The fact that if it were not for the prayers and lives of God's people and His restraining grace, this world would immediately become a literal hell, proves that the unregenerate man is totally depraved.

     But do not sinners do good? They may as men view things, but not in God's estimation, else they would have no need of the atonement for they would merit (by their own good acts) the favor of God and heaven itself. If they are able to desire or perform good deeds, it is wholly due to restraining grace.

     Another proof that man is totally depraved is the fact that notwithstanding all his penance and suffering, all his good works, they utterly fail to merit the favor of God. He will not recognize, much less fellowship with, anything only as He sees the Blood sprinkled thereon. Yes, man is radically wrong, and needs a radical change. "His understanding being darkened, his affections alienated, his sensibilities weakened, his desires depraved, and his judgment warped, his will is thereby necessarily enslaved; because invariably as the mind sees and feels, so it will act. Here, then, is an alliance of three great powers in open rebellion against the God of grace and glory, or in the language of another, 'Here is a threefold cord against heaven and holiness not easily broken -- a blind mind, a perverse will, and disorderly, distempered affections.' The mind swelled with conceit says the man should not seek the divine favor, the will opposed to the will of God says he will not seek it, and the corrupt affections, in full accord with the corrupt will, say he shall not seek it.

     "If, then, as has been shown by the foregoing thought that the sinner has neither power nor desire to seek and secure the divine favor, it is evident that his state of sin and suffering is absolutely fixed, unless the mighty arm of God is reached forth to snatch him from his perilous position. Reason and revelation alike declare that man can not save himself; but thanks be unto God, he is not required to save himself, for 'this is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.' God Himself takes the initial step in the work of salvation."